Saifullah

One of the Bangladeshis reported missing, Sajit Debnath converted to Islam while in Japan. Police say the man, who is now called Saifullah Ojakir, is accused in a case filed with a Dhaka police station under the anti-terrorism act.

Saifullah is from Nabinagar upazila of Brahmanbaria.

In his village, he was known to have been a brilliant student.

Saifullah, now in his 30s, had secured scholarships under the talent-pool category in class V and VIII. He then got into the Sylhet Cadet College and stood 10th and 11th on the merit list of his board in the SSC and HSC examinations, said his family members.

Later in 2001, he got a scholarship and went to Japan for higher studies. Following his doctorate degree from the Asia Pacific University there, he joined Kyoto University in Osaka as a teacher.

The Daily Star, however, could not independently verify any of these. 

In the meantime, he married a Japanese girl whose father was a businessman. Either in 2006 or 2007, the couple converted to Islam. They have four children, added the family members.

Locals and family sources said Saifullah, who had grown a beard by that time, came to his village four times after he converted to Islam. However, during his every visit, he stayed at a local's house and had brief meetings with his family members.

Saifullah's father Jonardhan Debnath said his son came to his village for the last time in 2015.

In 2006, Saifullah had taken Jonardhan to Japan and he stayed there for some 20 days.

On January 4 this year, the family members said, police came to their house to investigate a case against Saifullah filed in Dhaka.

Nabinagar police sources said the case was filed with Uttara Pashchim Police Station on May 23, 2015 under the anti-terrorism act.

Details of the case could not be known.

However, Saifullah denied doing anything wrong and claimed that it was a conspiracy against him by some of his friends, said his mother Anima Rani Debnath.

After that, he never contacted his family members. His phone is found switched off too, she said.

“I know my son very well. He is very talented and gentle. He cannot be involved in any sort of terrorism,” said the mother.