Mohammad Sumon (45), a Jubo League activist arrested over an alleged ‘armed’ attack on the anti-discrimination student movement in Bandar Upazila, Narayanganj, was granted three hours of parole to attend his pregnant wife’s funeral.
On Monday afternoon, he attended the funeral prayer at Dori Sonakanda Mor, under police supervision, and was later returned to Narayanganj District Jail.
Locals said Sumon was arrested on Thursday evening and sent to jail through the court the next day. His pregnant wife, Hafeza Begum, passed away while under treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Sunday night. Prior to her death, doctors performed a caesarean section to deliver their deceased child.
Sumon’s elder brother, Iqbal Hossain, said that although Sumon currently holds no official position, he had been active in Jubo League politics and previously served as the Organising Secretary of the Sonakanda Union branch of Chhatra League. Iqbal added that after Sumon’s arrest, Hafeza, who was nine months pregnant, had rushed between the police station and the court for two days. She fell ill on Saturday, was admitted to Dhaka Medical College, underwent a caesarean to deliver her deceased child on Sunday afternoon, and died later that night.
Witnesses at the funeral said Sumon broke down in tears when shown a picture of his newborn. After the funeral, he was returned to jail.
Locals also reported that Sumon was a close associate of Jubo League leader Khan Masud and managed part of the area’s broadband business. Masud is currently a fugitive in a case regarding the anti-discrimination student movement’s ‘armed attack and murder’. According to an Awami League leader, Sumon went into hiding briefly after the government fell but later returned to the area.
GLIVE/TSN