Court orders release of Chattogram woman wrongly jailed
A Chattogram court has ordered the release of Hasina Begum put behind bars wrongly one and a half years ago, reports UNB.
The court of 4th additional metropolitan session judge Shariful Alam Bhuiyan passed the order on Tuesday noon, said bench assistant of the court Omar Fuad.
Hasina Begum, 28, wife of Hamid Hossain of Teknaf upazila in Cox's Bazar district, has been serving the jail term instead of real convict Hasina Akther,42, in a narcotic case as law enforcers arrested her wrongly for the similarity of her name to the convict's.
The incident came in the limelight on Sunday as defense lawyer Golam Mawla Murad drew the attention of the judge of Chattogram additional metropolitan session court -4, Shariful Alam Bhuiyan, following a police investigation.
Defense lawyer Golam Mawla Murad told reporters that they are yet to receive the full verdict of the court.
Earlier in the morning, the jail authorities were asked to submit a report to the court saying Hasina Begum and Hasina Akther are two different persons, and Hasina Begum is not an accused.
Lawyer Murad said, "No case was filed against Hasina Begum. But she has been languishing in jail for the last one and a half years. Her only offence is the similarity of her name to that of the real accused. Their parents' names are also different."
Hasina Begum is the wife of Hamid Hossain of Teknaf upazila in Cox's Bazar district while the real convict, Hasina Akther, is the wife of Hamid Hossain of Ismail Hazi Bari of the same upazila.
According to the court, police recovered 2,000 yaba pills from Moijjartek in Karnaphuli on 24 February 2017. A case was then filed in this connection.
Later, police arrested Hasina Akhter on 25 February 2017 in this connection. On 27 November, Hasina Akhter secured bail from the court and went into hiding.
On 1 July 2019, judge of Chattogram metropolitan court-5 Jannatul Ferdous sentenced six years' jail to Hasina Akhter and fined Tk 5,000.
On 26 December 2019, police wrongly arrested Hasina Begum from Chowdhurypara Hossain Boro Bari in Teknaf in the case and she has been in jail since then.