Father detained for allegedly selling child to buy iPhone
A 22-year-old man, Maruf Munshi, has been accused of selling his one-and-a-half-year-old son for around Tk 100,000 (1 lakh).
Police from Dashmina police station in Patuakhali detained him in connection with the incident. The child has also been rescued. The family alleged that he did so to raise money to buy an iPhone.
Officer-in-charge (OC) of Dashmina police station Atikul Islam confirmed the matter.
He said Maruf was brought from Dhaka to Dashmina police station at around 11:00 pm on Sunday. The child was rescued from Charbishwas area of Galachipa upazila in the district.
Maruf denied the allegation that he had sold his son. While in police custody on Sunday night, he said he had incurred debts locally. So, he had given the child to his colleague Imran and his father-in-law to raise. He said he had taken Tk 52,000 from them for this reason.
Maruf is the son of Mofiz Munshi of Baro Gopaldi village in Dashmina upazila. He works as a construction worker in Dhaka.
Speaking to police and family members, it was learnt that Maruf had been having a family dispute with his wife, Brishti Akter. They started living separately some time ago. After that, the child was being looked after by his paternal grandmother, Mahfuza Begum.
Mahfuza Begum said Maruf dressed the child in good clothes and took him out for a walk on Saturday morning. When he did not return home by evening, family members began searching for him in different places.
Later, they learnt that Mohibul, the father-in-law of Maruf’s colleague Imran Hossain in Dhaka, had taken the child in exchange for money. Mohibul has no son.
The family claimed that the child’s price had been set at Tk 100,000. Of this, Tk 52,000 was paid in advance, and the child was handed over in writing.
Mahfuza Begum alleged that Maruf used the money, along with his old iPhone and some additional funds, to buy a new iPhone. After the news spread, local people informed the police.
As the family had not submitted a written complaint, complications had arisen in taking legal action against those involved.Atikul Islam, OC, Dashmina police station
Maruf however denied the allegation that he had sold his son. While in police custody on Sunday night, he said he had incurred debts locally. So, he had given the child to his colleague Imran and his father-in-law to raise. He said he had taken Tk 52,000 from them for this reason.
OC Atikul Islam said police launched an operation after the news spread on social media. However, as the family had not submitted a written complaint, complications had arisen in taking legal action against those involved.
Further steps will be taken after discussions with the upazila administration and the Department of Women Affairs and the Department of Social Services, added the police official.