Serving jail time by proxy
When "Kulsuma Akhter" came to the Chattogram Central Jail in 2018 with a conviction warrant in hand, after being convicted in a murder case, she had all the correct answers -- the name of her father, husband, home addresses and other related information.
So the jail authorities jotted those down in a register book for convicted prisoners and took her photograph before registering her as an inmate.
What the prison authorities did not know was that she was serving a jail term by proxy for money while the actual criminal remained scot-free.
The above information came to light after the prison authorities found out about the issue seeing discrepancies in their register books -- one for under trial prisoners and one for convicted ones – and informed the court.
Yesterday, the Chattogram jail superintendent appeared before a court in Chattogram with the register books to explain the situation. As per the court order, Md Shafiqul Islam Khan appeared before the court of 4th Additional Metropolitan Session Judge Shariful Alam.
Court sources said one Kohinur Begum, an apparel worker, was killed in her rented house in port city's Rahmatganj area on July 9, 2006 following an altercation over a mobile phone.
Over the murder, a case was lodged with Kotwali Police Station and police arrested one Kulsuma Akhter and sent her to jail in 2007.
She later walked out of jail on bail.
On November 30, 2017, a court in Chattogram sentenced her to life-term imprisonment in absentia after trial.
Asked, Jail superintendent Shafiqul Islam Khan said, "Kulsuma landed in Chattogram jail in 2007 as an under-trial prisoner. During that time, her name and photograph were registered in the under-trial prisoners' book.
But she later got out on bail after serving a year, he added.
Meanwhile, Minu Akhter came to the jail in 2018 following a conviction warrant in a murder case where her name and photo were registered in convicted-prisoners' register book, the jail superintendent added.
"The photos of two women were different but when she [Minu] came to jail, she introduced herself as Kulsuma. She even had the correct answers to her family members' names, addresses, and other information. However, after finding out the mismatch recently, we informed the court," he added.
Asked how they found out about the discrepancy, he said they found it while conducting an inspection of the female ward.
According to court sources, the jail superintendent came to the judge's room with both the register books. Minu was also with her.
On the court premises, Minu, a mother of three, told reporters that one Morzina Akhter of her area offered her money to go to jail for a few days.
Minu said she did not know Kulsuma. Once in jail, she said, she found out that she was serving life-term imprisonment.
Meanwhile, family members of Minu said her children are now living in an orphanage in Sitakunda.
Advocate Golam Mowla Murad who is providing legal support to Minu, told The Daily Star, "The court has seen the documents and ordered to send those to the High Court for the next course of action."
"Had the jail authorities checked the register books of the prisoners before Minu's entry, the mistake would have been found out much earlier," he added.
Meanwhile court sources said Kulsuma had earlier filed a petition with the HC to review her punishment. As the case is now with the HC, it will decide on the matter as well as Minu's fate, said senior lawyers at Chattogram.
Even if Minu gets bail in the case, the prison authorities may file a fraudulent case against her, they added.
Minu hails from Sitakunda upazila while convicted Kulsuma from Lohagara upazila of Chattogram.
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