Zishan Ahmed, a six year old boy of a widow working abroad, became a victim of brutality by his uncle Swapan Mia, 26, in Habiganj in October last. Swapan Mia sent a torture video clip to the boy’s mother in Saudi Arabia for realising ransom. Instantly the mother came back to Bangladesh and was moving to different people and tried her best to salvage her son and get justice.
Finally the Habiganj police, at the quickest intervention of the Media and Public Relations Wing of Police Headquarters, arrested the culprit in connection with the allegation of torturing the orphan baby on Wednesday. The prompt action was taken by Mir Sohel Rana, Assistant Inspector General (Media and Public Relations of the Police Headquarters) on receiving the information.
Talking to the Bangladesh Post on Wednesday AIG Sohel Rana confirmed the arrest. He told this correspondent that after hearing of the incident from Bangladesh Post correspondent, senior officials of the Police Headquarters closely monitored the case. Earlier on Tuesday night, Bangladesh Post handed over two video clips to AIG Mir Sohel Rana, which discloses that a young man is mercilessly torturing a child named Zishan Ahmad, while some others were taking video.
Getting the clips, AIG Sohel Rana assured this correspondent of taking drastic action against the torturer. He finally kept his words and at one stage, Habiganbj police arrested the culprit. Our Habiganj Correspondent adds: A young man has been brutally tortured by his brothers grandson, to extort money from a housewife who lives in Saudi Arabia. She hails from Nabiganj upazila of Habiganj.
Tortured Zishan’s mother Sumana Akhter has flown back to the country to save her son's life. Police have arrested the culprit Swapan Mia (26), who is an uncle of Zishan. On Wednesday (November 6), police arrested him from a house in Khagora village of Baniachang upazila. He is the son of Manai Mia of Chargaon village of Nabiganj upazila.
Habiganj Police Superintendent Mohammad Ullah described the incident through a press conference at his office on Wednesday afternoon. At the press conference, the victim Zishan and his mother Sumana were present. Accordingly the son of the deceased Manai Miah of Chargaon village was arrested.
According to police and local sources, Sufi Mia, husband of Sumana Akhter, a resident of Chargaon village of Nabiganj upazila, died about 5 years ago. Since then she has been living in distress with two children. About two months back, Sumana went to Saudi Arabia in search of work. She gave a rickshaw, a mobile phone set and some money to Swapan. After two months of going abroad, Swapan started to demand more money from Sumana.
Swapan started torturing Zishan, a child of Sumana, at around 10 am on October 28 as his mother could not send any money from Saudi. For half an hour, the scene of the boy being tortured was captured on a mobile phone and sent to Sumana's 'Imo' account. He also threatened to kill the boy if she does not send money quickly. As seen in the video, Zishan is being assaulted and hit on various parts of his body including his cheeks.
At one point, the child was kept hanging with his head down. The distressed mother could only cry seeing the video. Meanwhile, the video of the boy being tortured was sent to Sumana when she was in Saudi Arabia. At one stage, she returned home last Friday. Later, the police found the footage that went viral on social media. The Additional Superintendent of Police Habibganj A S M Raju Ahmed arrested Swapan on Wednesday morning.
Zishan's mother Sumana said, "To look after my two children, I gave them a rickshaw, mobile phone and some money." “But after I went abroad, the man started abusing my child inhumanely. At one point, I returned home after he threatened to kill my son. I demand exemplary punishment for the incident.” Superintendent of Police Mohammad Ullah said, Sumana filed a case with Nabiganj Police Station on Wednesday in connection with the incident.
Swapan has already been arrested. Police are investigating whether anyone else is involved in the incident. Swapan admitted that he tortured the child when Sumana insulted him in foreign language. Officer-in-charge of Nabiganj Police Station Mohammad Azizur Rahman said the injured child was admitted to Habiganj Modern District Sadar Hospital. Nabiganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Azizur Rahman said the police was investigating the matter.
