Rahima Begum, who was found alive in Faridpur in September last year 29 days after disappearance, was not abducted but her daughter Mariam Mannan staged the ‘abducted drama’ in a bid to implicate their neighbour in a case over land dispute, said Police Bureau of investigation (PBI). Khulna Superintendent of Police Syed Mushfiqur Rahman revealed these information at a press briefing held at PBI office around 11:30 am on Monday (February 13, 2023). The PBI submitted the investigation report to the Metropolitan Judge in the morning. “We have not found any evidence of abduction rather evidences show that Mariam Mannan plotted the abduction drama in a bid to implicate their neighbor in a case over land dispute,” he said. Also read; Rahima’s statement on ‘disappearance’ misleading: PBI “As part of the plan, Rahima herself went into hiding and changed her locations frequently during this period. On October 27, last year, she went to Dhaka and after living there for some days, Mariam sent her to Bandarban with some clothes and medicines. Later, she went to the house of one Abdul Kuddus at Boalmari in Faridpur district where police traced her,” he added.

A Khulna court on Tuesday granted bail to four of the six accused in a case over alleged abduction of Khulna’s Rahima Begum.  Khulna Metropolitan Sessions Court Judge Mahmuda Begum passed the order during a hearing on the bail pleas.  Read: Rahima’s statement on ‘disappearance’ misleading: PBI Those granted bail are Mohammad Mohiuddin, assistant engineer of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet), Golam Kibria, Md Jewel, and Rafiqul Islam Palash, said Public Prosecutor KM Iqbal Hossain.  The two other accused- Rahima’s second husband Belal Ghatak and Helal Sharif- are currently in jail, he said.  On August 27, Rahima went missing after she had left her home in the Banikpara area of Doulatpur at 10pm to bring water. Her daughters found her sandals, scarf and water pot. A newer pair of sandals though, had gone missing and that fuelled speculation that she had left home on her own.  Read: Families of arrestees claim Rahima’s daughter Moriom behind mysterious disappearance The family first filed a complaint with the police, based on which the law enforcement lodged a first information report (FIR) against some people over Rahima's disappearance. On September 13, after Rahima remained missing for 17 days and police failed to find her, her younger daughter Aduri Akter appealed to a Khulna court to transfer the case to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI).  The same day, police arrested six people in connection with the case and of them four were accused by the plaintiff in the case statement, said police.  On September 24, Rahima Begum was found alive in Faridpur's Boalmari after remaining missing for 29 days. 

Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has said that the disappearance of Rahima Begum, who was found alive in Faridpur, was not an incident of “abduction”. “We did not find any evidence of abduction from her house in Khulna’s Daulatpur,” SP Syed Mushfiqur Rahman of PBI Khulna said today. “We are still investigating the case and action will be taken if Rahima Begum had made false accusations about her disappearance,” the PBI official said. Read: I was abducted over land dispute: Rahima Begum Meanwhile, family members of those arrested in the case have claimed that Rahima Begum’s daughter Moriom Mannan is the “mastermind” behind the mysterious disappearance. They said that if Moriom and others involved in the incident are questioned, truth will be revealed. On September 25, 2022, Rahima Begum, who remained “missing” for 29 days, was handed over to her family after her statement was recorded in the court. Read: Rahima Begum handed over to family after recording statement Later, she was taken to her younger daughter Aduri Akter’s house in Khulna’s Boyra area, said plaintiff’s lawyer Afruzzaman Tutul. In her statement, Rahima provided detailed information on being “abducted over land dispute”. She said she was abducted and taken to Chattogram. From there, she went to Faridpur on her own. Read I was abducted over land dispute: Rahima Begum The night before, police rescued Rahima from Boalmari upazila of Faridpur. “I was abducted by some unidentified men from in front of my house,” Rahima claimed when she met her family members at the PBI office in Khulna. “Golam Kibria and Md Mohiuddin, two people with whom Rahima was at loggerheads over land, had forcefully collected her signature on a blank paper and left her at a remote place with only Tk 1000,” Mushfiqur quoted Rahima at the time. Read No one takes clothes or medicine with them, if they are abducted: PBI SP

Khulna’s Rahima Begum, who remained  “missing” for 29 days, was handed over to her family this evening after her statement was recorded in the court. Khulna Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court-2 Judge AL Amin recorded Rahima’s statement around 6 pm. Later, she was taken to her younger daughter Aduri Akter’s house in the city's Boyra area, said plaintiff’s lawyer Afruzzaman Tutul. Also read: I was abducted over land dispute: Rahima Begum In her statement, Rahima provided detailed information on being “abducted over land dispute”. She said she was abducted and taken to Chattogram. From there, she went to Faridpur on her own. Earlier on Saturday night, police rescued Rahima from Boalmari upazila of Faridpur. Also read: Rahima stopped talking when police found her and asked questions “I was abducted by some unidentified men from in front of my house,” Rahima claimed when she met her family members at the PBI office in Khulna. “Golam Kibria and Md Mohiuddin, two people with whom Rahima was at loggerheads over land, had forcefully collected her signature on a blank paper and left her at a remote place with only Tk 1000,” Mushfiqur quoted Rahima. Four-five people Rahima accused over her abduction in the statement were also accused in a case filed over her going missing, following a complaint received from her children. Read Reported “missing”, Khulna’s Rahima was staying in Faridpur since Sept 17: Police

Khulna’s Rahima Begum, who had been missing for 29 days, has finally opened her mouth, and talked about her disappearance. “I was abducted by some unidentified men from in front of my house,” Rahima claimed when she met her family members at the PBI office in Khulna. According to SP Syed Mushfiqur Rahman of Police Bureau of Investigation Khulna, Rahima claimed that she was abandoned at an unfamiliar place after abduction. Read: No one takes clothes or medicine with them, if they are abducted: PBI SP “Golam Kibria and Md Mohiuddin, two people with whom Rahima was at loggerheads over land, had forcefully collected her signature on a blank paper and left her at a remote place with only Tk 1000,” Mushfiqur quoted Rahima. The SP added that they have also discovered why Rahima went to Abdul Quddus’ house in Faridpur. “At first, Rahima wasn’t sure where she would go. Later, she reached the house of Abdul Quddus in Syedpur village under Faridpur’s Boalkhali upazila via Gopalganj’s Muksedpur, the only place she knew that she could go to. She couldn’t let anyone know about her whereabouts as she didn’t have a mobile phone with her,” Rahima apparently told PBI. Read: Rahima stopped talking when police found her and asked questions SP Mushfiqur also said that police are currently verifying Rahima’s claims. “She has been sent to the court, where it’ll be decided what will happen next.” On August 27, Rahima went missing after she had stepped out to fetch water near her home in Banikpara area of Khulna’s Doulatpara upazila around 10pm. Her family found her sandals, scarf and the pitcher she was carrying from the spot. The family first filed a complaint with the police, based on which an FIR was lodged by the cops against some people. Read Missing Khulna woman found dead in Mymensingh, family suspects On September 13, after Rahima remained missing for 17 days and police failed to find her, her younger daughter Aduri Akter appealed to the Khulna court to transfer the case to the PBI, said Rahima’s elder daughter Moriom Mannan. The same day the court ordered police to hand over the case of Rahima Begum to the PBI.

It is unlikely that Rahima Begum was abducted, SP Syed Mushfiqur Rahman of Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) Khulna, said today. Speaking to journalists at a press briefing this morning, the PBI SP also said that they are hopeful of resolving this mystery soon. “Rahima is not talking to anyone since she has been found. She is looking a bit nervous but is physically alright. We have come to know that before going to Faridpur, she had stayed in Bandarban and Chattogram for some days. We’ll disclose information as soon as we learn more details from her,” Mushfiqur said. Also read: Rahima stopped talking when police found her and asked questions Mushfiqur added that they have solved the mystery regarding why Rahima went to Abdul Kuddus’ house in Faridpur. “Abdul Quddus used to be a tenant at Rahima’s Khulna house. Quddus used to work at Khulna’s Sonali Jute Mill. For some reason, Rahima tracked down Quddus, went to Faridpur and had been staying with the family since September 17. Efforts are on to understand why Rahima went to Quddus’ house,” added the SP. “We have found a white shopping bag with Rahima which contained some clothes and medicine. No one takes clothes or medicine with them, if they are abducted,” said the SP. While talking to journalists, Mushfiqur said that Rahima has longstanding enmity with her neighbours over land and police are not sure whether she went “missing” over this. SP Mushfiqur informed that while six people have been arrested over the issue, three more have been brought to Khulna with Rahima. Police will interrogate all of them to find out what actually happened. “Rahima will be produced before the court after questioning. The court will then decide what to do next,” said Mushfiqur. On August 27, Rahima went missing after she had stepped out to fetch water near her home in Banikpara area of Khulna’s Doulatpara upazila around 10pm. Her family found her sandals, scarf and the pitcher she was carrying from the spot. Also read: Reported “missing”, Khulna’s Rahima was staying in Faridpur since Sept 17: Police The family first filed a complaint with the police, based on which an FIR was lodged by the cops against some people. On September 13, after Rahima remained missing for 17 days and police failed to find her, her younger daughter Aduri Akter appealed to the Khulna court to transfer the case to the PBI, said Rahima’s elder daughter Moriom Mannan. The same day the court ordered police to hand over the case to the PBI.

Rahima Begum, 52, of Khulna, who has been missing since August 27, has been found dead in Mymensingh, family members suspect. “I suspect my mother's body has been found,” this is what Moriom Mannan, Rahima’s daughter, wrote in a Facebook post today. Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), Khulna's Daulatpur police station and Mymensingh police couldn’t confirm the matter. Read: PBI to take over case of missing Khulna woman PBI is investigating the case filed over the woman's disappearance. Khulna Superintendent of Police, Syed Mushfiqur Rahman, said the investigating officer of the case spoke to Moriom. Moriom told them that her mother's body was recovered from Phulpur area of Mymensingh. Mymensingh Police said the body of a woman was recovered from Phulpur on September 10 and was buried, said the officer. Read: Khulna woman remains missing for 18 days, 6 held Police couldn’t identify the body recovered in Mymensingh, he said. Moriom Mannan told the investigating officer she identified her mother's body by scrutinizing a photograph of the clothes the corpse was wearing. Phulpur police station has collected the DNA samples of the recovered body. The investigating officer asked Moriom to go to Phulpur police station on Saturday. There her DNA sample will be collected and matched with the DNA of the recovered body. Read Mitu murder: PBI submits chargesheet against ex-SP Babul, 6 others “If the DNA matches it can be confirmed,” SP Mushfiqur. On August 27, Rahima Begum went missing after she had stepped out to fetch water, near her home in Banikpara area of Doulatpur upazila in Khulna around 10pm. Her children found her sandals, scarf and the pitcher she was carrying from the spot. The family first filed a complaint with the police, based on which an FIR was lodged by the cops against some people. Read Fugitive PBI inspector suspended over Khulna college girl's rape On September 13, after Rahima remained missing for 17 days and police failed to find her, her younger daughter Aduri Akter appealed to the Khulna court to transfer the case to PBI, said Rahima’s elder daughter Moriom Mannan. The same day the court ordered the police to hand over the case to PBI, but the cops are yet to comply with the order, she told UNB. When asked, Nazrul Islam, officer-in-charge of Doulatpur police station, said, “We have received the order and the case document will be handed over when PBI asks for it.” Read Munia Murder Case: PBI probe report submission deferred again to Dec 8 So far, six people have been arrested in this case. They are Rahima’s second husband Belal Howladar, Mohiuddin, Palash, Jewel, Helal Sharif, and assistant engineer at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) Golam Kibria. As the case was investigated by PBI, a remand appeal made by the police to interrogate Rahima’s husband Belal remains pending for hearing, said the OC. Rahima’s daughter Moriom, in a Facebook post, said that they have been putting up 'missing' posters in Khulna city in the hope they will get their mother back. Read PBI nabs fugitive accused in 7 cases