‘Where is Milon?’

Muniruzzaman Milon, 31, a garments worker, went out to join a victory rally in front of Ashulia Police Station on August 5, to celebrate the ouster of the Awami League government following the student-led mass uprising.

Since then, he has remained missing.

His family members are still searching for him, with no information on whether Milon is alive or dead.

Milon's wife Savita Khatun, 24, and 14-month-old daughter Mansura Maryam are still waiting for him to return home.

Savita said the family has been duped twice so far while looking for him.

Milon used to work as a supervisor in 4-A Yarn Dyeing Limited's factory in Ashulia, and lived with his wife and daughter in a rented house in Buribazar area nearby.

He is from Jorgachha Paschim Para village under Bogura's Sariakandi upazila.

"I was in the village home with my daughter on August 5. Milon was in Dhaka. His factory was closed on the day following clashes and deaths in Ashulia on the day before," Savita said.

"On August 5, my husband called me around 2:30pm to inform that Sheikh Hasina had fled the country and he was on his way to join a victory rally in Ashulia. Later around 3:30pm, when I called him, he told me that he was in front of Ashulia Police Station amid a violent clash with police."

"I called him again around 4:30pm. The phone rang but no one picked it up. Later, the phone was found switched off since 7:00pm," she added.

Milon's elder brother Samiul Islam Milton said he left for Ashulia on the same night and went to Ashulia Police Station the next morning.

"There were six burnt bodies in a police car. I looked at the bodies but my brother was not there. I went on to look for him in every hospital morgue in Ashulia, Gazipur and Dhaka, and also the jails, but found him nowhere," Milton said.

Savita said they had posted Milon's photo in a Facebook group, requesting information on his whereabout. A person contacted them saying Milon was held hostage and demanded Tk 10,000 for his release. However, once the money was paid through a mobile financing app, the family did not hear from that person again, and realised they were duped.

"After that, we advertised in the newspaper but to no avail," she said.

Savita also said she went to Ashulia Police Station on August 10 to file a missing diary, but the police took a copy of their general diary and sent her back. Later, on August 21, they sent her back again without letting her file the missing diary.

"I want to know what happened to my husband. Where will I go now with my 14-month-old child?" Sabita said.

Contacted Abu Bakr Siddique, officer-in-charge of Ashulia Police Station, could not say anything about Milon's missing dairy.

"We have received 3-4 missing diaries after August 5. We are working on them. No one has been found so far," the OC added.