Rahima’s statement about ‘disappearance’ misleading: PBI

Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has said that the statement given by Rahima Begum, who was found alive in Faridpur after remaining missing for 29 days, about her ‘disappearance’ to the PBI and in the court is misleading.

However, they are verifying her statement given at the court, Khulna Superintendent of Police Syed Mushfiqur Rahman of the agency said on Thursday.

So far, nothing has been found that proves Rahima’s statement true, said the PBI official. On Monday, the investigating officer visited the house of Quddus Mollah at Syedpur village in Faridpur, where Rahima had been staying since September 17.

“We have got important information there,” SP Mushfiqur said.

Now the investigation officer will go to Bandarban for further investigation as Rahima went to Islampur in Bandarban Sadar upazila as she mentioned in her statement in court.

Besides, police suspect the involvement of Belal Hawlader, Rahima’s second husband, in her disappearance.

“We are hopeful of getting proper information if we interrogate him. We’ve submitted a plea to the court for his remand,” the officer added.

In her statement, Rahima said she found herself in the Chattogram Hill Tracts area after being abducted on August 27. She worked at a hotel in Bandarban.

The hotel owner later offered her a job in a local camp for which her birth certificate and NID card were needed, she said.

For collecting birth registration and NID card, she went to Quddus Molla’s house, her acquaintance, at Syedpur village of Boalmari upazila of Faridpur district.

There she reached Syedpur Union Parishad Chairman Abdul Haque on September 16 for a birth certificate and NID stating that she was born in that village and used to live in Bagerhat for livelihood.

However, the UP chairman refused to issue those out of suspicion, said the PBI officer.

“We are still investigating the case and action will be taken if Rahima Begum gave a false statement about her disappearance,” the PBI official said.

On September 25, Rahima Begum, who remained “missing” for 29 days, was handed over to her family after her statement was recorded in court.

Later, she was taken to her younger daughter Aduri Akter’s house in Khulna’s Boyra area, said the plaintiff’s lawyer Afruzzaman Tutul.

In her statement, Rahima provided detailed information on being “abducted over the land dispute”.

The night before, police rescued Rahima from Boalmari upazila of Faridpur.