Former deputy inspector general of police Anisur Rahman and his wife Anwara Rahman were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for life on charge of stealing seven children for trafficking.
The Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal 4 judge, Arifur Rahman, also fined each of the couple Tk 5 lakh, in default to serve one more year in jail.
The court pronounced the verdict in the presence of Anwara, who was remanded on bail, in the dock in the capacity-packed courtroom. The court sent her to jail.
The sentence for Anisur, who went into hiding after being remanded on bail, will be executed after his arrest or surrender, the court ordered.
Defence counsel Kazi Mohammad Sazawar Hossain told reporters that he would appeal against the verdict with the High Court.
The verdict has been given six years after the incident came to light in 2006.
The court pronounced the verdict related to seven children although, according to reports, the couple had 14 children in their custody.
Media reports in May 2006 said that Anwara claimed to be mother of the seven children who are all about the same age. The incident created a sensation at that time as allegations had it that that the couple had kept the children for trafficking.
The couple claimed that the 14 children who used to live in their house were theirs.
According to media reports, Anisur’s wife had adopted a permanent birth control measure five years before the time of the incident and the birth certification information suggests that Anwara had given birth to three of the children in eight months.
Elena Khan, then executive director of the Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights, filed a general diary with Badda police against the couple.
Later on February 6, 2007, the court accepted the complaint as a case as the media and rights activists continued to press for it.
According to case details, seven of the 14 children of the couple were very young. Discrepancy surfaced as their information varied from time to time and it emerged that the children were not theirs.
The couple’s past deeds made it clear that they had illegally collected the children from various hospitals, clinics or from guardians for trafficking.
On November 10, 2006 the investigation officer, Humayun Kabir, submitted the final report to the court.
He sought discharge of the accused from the case, saying the incident surfaced merely because of ‘misinformation.’ But when the plaintiff objected to the report, the court decided to continue with the case.
According to case details, Jannatul Mariam Nazifa, one of the children, died. Nafiza, Jannatul Nafiza Rahman, Jannatul Tanisa Rahman, Ayman Rahman Anis, Nafes Akan Anis, Anas Akhand Asin and Diyan Rahman currently stay in the safe home called Prashanti at Agargaon run by Jatiya Mahila Ainjibi Samity.
-With New Age input
