Father now targeted by ‘content creators’

In the case of the murder of a mother and her daughter in Mohammadpur in the capital, AJM Azizul Islam, who lost both his wife and child, has now become a target of so-called “view-seeking content creators”.

On social media platform Facebook and video-sharing platform YouTube, some individuals have been alleging that Azizul Islam himself was involved in the murder of his wife and daughter.

These allegations have left him deeply distressed. Speaking to Prothom Alo, Azizul Islam said, “Some people are trying to suggest that I was behind the murders. For a father who has lost both his wife and child, this is extremely painful and distressing.”

On 8 December, Laila Afroza, 48 and her daughter, Nafisa Nawal Binte Aziz, 15, were murdered. Both had sustained multiple injuries caused by a sharp weapon.

In the case filed by Azizul Islam in connection with the murders, police arrested the family’s domestic worker, Ayesha and her husband, Rabbi Shikder, from Nalchity in Jhalakathi on 10 December. After the completion of remand, Ayesha gave a confessional statement before the court.

Police have also stated that they found no involvement of Azizul Islam in the murders. The officer-in-charge of Mohammadpur police station, Mezbah Uddin, told Prothom Alo, “We have found no information indicating any involvement of Laila Afroza’s husband in this incident. Many people question how a single woman could kill two people. Ayesha has provided a detailed account of this in her confessional statement.”

Referring to the rumours circulating on social media implicating Azizul Islam, the police officer said that many individuals spread such rumours on Facebook merely to generate views.

After Ayesha’s arrest, police stated that when she was confronted about handing her over to the police while attempting to flee after committing theft, she became enraged and attacked Laila Afroza.

When Nafisa came forward to save her mother, she too was attacked. After killing both, Ayesha reportedly went to the bathroom, washed up, changed into Nafisa’s school uniform and fled the scene.

Subsequently, CCTV footage from the building showed that on the day of the incident Ayesha entered the premises wearing a burqa and left wearing the deceased Nafisa’s school uniform.

Azizul Islam is a teacher at Sunbeams School in Uttara. He is currently unable, due to his mental state, to reside in the Mohammadpur flat on Shahjahan road where his wife and daughter were killed. As a result, he is now staying at his younger sister’s residence in Dhanmondi.

On 18 December, Azizul Islam spoke about the murder of his wife and daughter at the residence of his younger sister, Zubaida Gulshan Ara. His elder sister, Anjuman Ara and niece, Nuremah Pahara Prapti, were also present. His relatives repeatedly stated that they demanded exemplary punishment for those responsible for the killings.

Azizul Islam said that he and his wife had married “at a relatively late age” in 2008. He recalled, “I used to call my wife ‘Nina bou’ in front of everyone. Every morning before leaving home, I would hold both her hands and affectionately pat her head. I left home in the same way that day. Who could have known that it would be our final farewell?”

He also said that he never addressed his daughter Nafisa by her name, instead calling her by affectionate terms such as “Jadu baba” or “baba”.

The day before she was killed, Nafisa had bought a pair of maroon shoes for a school party after her examinations. That was the last gift he gave her.

Nafisa was a ninth-grade student at Mohammadpur Preparatory School.

After burying the bodies of Laila and Nafisa at their ancestral home in Natore, Azizul Islam returned to Dhaka. With permission from the police, he subsequently had his flat cleaned.

Before the cleaning, he recorded videos of the various rooms. The footage showed extensive bloodstains on the floors, walls and surrounding objects. Azizul Islam has said that he no longer wishes to recall those memories.

Azizul Islam himself is unable to reconcile the reasons behind the murder of his wife and daughter. On the day of the incident, he left home in the morning for school.

Upon returning home, he found his wife’s body lying in a pool of blood. As his daughter, who was also found covered in blood, still felt slightly warm, she was taken to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, where doctors subsequently declared her dead.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Azizul Islam’s niece, Nuremah Pahara Prapti, said that Nafisa had six injury marks on her neck, while her aunt’s body had more than 30 injury marks.

Azizul Islam and his wife Laila had been living in their own flat since 2012. Azizul Islam said that his wife used to do the household work herself and that they only required a part-time domestic worker for cleaning the floors. He had informed the building’s security guard that a domestic worker was needed.

Azizul Islam said that his family had no enmity with anyone. Therefore, he is unable to understand whether there could have been any other motive behind the murders.

“Many people are saying that I have a lot of money. That is also an exaggerated claim. I bought the flat with a bank loan. I paid the instalments from my school salary, income from coaching and the rent I receive for the garage space in the building, as I do not own a car. After meeting all expenses, I used to save only a small amount each month,” said Azizul Islam.

He also does not believe that a large number of valuable items were taken from the flat. Two laptop computers, two mobile phones (one of which was of low priced) and a gold chain belonging to his wife are missing.

Apart from these, any jewellery that his wife or daughter may have kept in the wardrobe could also be missing.

Referring to media reports that the accused Ayesha had been caught stealing two thousand taka the day before the incident, Azizul Islam said, “My wife did not tell me anything about such a theft. I used to speak to her throughout the day, either over the phone or in person. If such an incident had occurred, I would have known.”

Azizul Islam further said, “It was Ayesha who came to work in my home. The police have arrested her, there is no doubt about that. However, like everyone else, I too question how one person alone could kill two people.”

Regarding phone conversations with his wife, Azizul Islam said, “Some people have written that I repeatedly tried to call my wife on the day of the incident and failing to reach her, rushed home from school.

But on that day, after going to school, I did not speak to my wife at all. The school children were taking examinations and mobile phones cannot be used during examinations.”

Whenever an incident occurs, many individuals share various pieces of information on Facebook and YouTube.

In many cases, the information lacks authenticity, and some people engage in deliberate misinformation. There is little opportunity for redress against such practices.

As a result, the lives of many people, like Azizul Islam, are being severely disrupted due to false information.

Professor Monirul Islam Khan, retired professor of the Department of Sociology at the University of Dhaka, told Prothom Alo, “The foundations of trust that once existed in honesty, friendship and family have weakened. There is no longer any absolute truth. Various social and political institutions are collapsing and there is a crisis of values. Fake news is misleading people. One could say that we are living in a post-truth era.”

He further said that holding someone responsible for an act they did not commit deeply hurts that person and causes severe mental distress.