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

Rahima Begum of Khulna's Daulatpur, who had been missing since August 27, was found alive in Faridpur, police said. Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) found her alive in Faridpur's Boalmari at around 10:45 pm Saturday, KMP Deputy Commissioner (North) Molla Jahangir Hossain told UNB. "A team of police conducted a drive in Syedpur village after receiving information that Rahima had gone into hiding there. They are now on their way to Khulna," Molla Jahangir added. The development comes after 52-year-old Rahima's elder daughter Moriom Mannan, whose campaign to find her mother for almost a month touched the nation, suspected that the body of an unidentified woman buried in Mymensingh recently was her mother's. Aslo, Moriom, in a Facebook post, said they had put up "missing" posters in Khulna city, hoping that they would get their mother back. 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.  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), Moriom said. Family members said Rahima often received death threats from some of her neighbours whom she had sued in 2019 over a land dispute. Also read: Missing Khulna woman found dead in Mymensingh, family suspects  

Police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested six people in connection with the disappearance of a 55-year-old woman in Khulna on August 27. Rahima Khatun went missing after she had stepped out to fetch water near her home in the Banikpara area of Doulatpara upazila in Khulna around 10pm on that day. Rahima’s second husband Belal Howladar was taken into police custody on Monday night for interrogation and later was shown arrested in a case filed on a complaint filed by her children, said Nazrul Islam, officer-in-charge of Doulatpur police station. Earlier five others -- Mohiuddin, Palash, Jewel, Helal Sharif and assistant engineer at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) Golam Kibria -- were arrested in this case. Also read: 7 young men missing from Cumilla since Aug 23 Of them, four were accused by the plaintiff in the case statement, said the OC. OC Nazrul said that Rapid Action Battalion and other law enforcing agencies were also investigating the matter along with police. “On August 27, Rahima’s cell phone was active in the Jogipole area after 10 pm but it was switched off before it could be tracked,” said the OC. Rahima’s daughter Mariyam Hannan, in a Facebook post, said on Monday that her mother "has been missing for the last 17 days" though the administration claimed they are working to find her. Also read: Body of missing youth recovered from river in Chuadanga “Every moment my mother’s face comes to my mind whether I go to sleep or eat. She must be hoping her children will find her soon,” she wrote.

As the day winds down in Khalishpur, Muslima is finishing her daily route, going house-to-house ferrying goods on her bicycle. The goods are contained in multiple bags and cartons somehow attaching themselves on the front and back of her humble ride.  From a distance it may look like a small bazaar on the move, and wherever she stops is where the bazaar sits, as women of all ages quickly swarm to the spot and huddle around her. They bargain, they discuss, they learn about the products. In between, Muslima even manages to sell some of her items. Her mark up on the final price at which she sells her items is very slender. She isn't out to make an exorbitant amount in quick time. She knows she is in this for the long haul. And she will have to fight every day to survive in the battle of life. Life wasn't bad for Obaidur Rahman, approaching middle age as a worker of Daulatpur Jute Mill in Khulna. He and his wife never regretted not having a son among their three beautiful and talented daughters. Obaidur's job at the mill was a source of security for them.  As long as he held down his post, they had no reason to foresee any great strife in their lives ahead. That happiness ended in 2019, after he got diagnosed as a cardiac patient. Read: Online Business: How to Get Started from Home? All of a sudden the blows kept coming for Obaidur. The jute mill was closed by the government in what looked like an overnight decision. As Obaidur was the only earning member of the family, their entire world changed overnight. All three daughters were of school-going age, and moreover going to school as well. It meant whatever savings Obaidur had got quickly depleted. Not only did he fail to meet their educational expenses, he was now struggling to provide food on their table. It was all taking a toll on his health as wellDoctors recommended the stenting procedure for Obaidur, to insert little rings that open up the arteries for blood circulation, but it was unaffordable for him. Gradually Obaidur became more ill and fragile, and ultimately an invalid, incapable of working. This is when the woman of the house, Taslima Begum Muslima (41) stepped up in a crisis to relieve the load on her husband. She started by selling clothes to the ladies of Khalishpur, winning their confidence by not compromising on quality and her honesty.  Initially, she sold women's clothing including three-pieces that she carried in a bag slung from her shoulder. Later she bought a bicycle with her profit and expanded the product range into bangles, ribbons, gold plate earrings, rings, chains, combs and other necessary goods. Read: 'Women entrepreneurs get less than 4% of MSME loans' "I can't do any heavy work. No one wants to employ me once they hear of my health condition. Now my wife is running the family," Obaidur proudly told our correspondent.    Unfortunately, whatever Muslima earns is not enough to bear the educational expenses of their three daughters. So Obaidur would still appreciate wealthy people of the society to step forward to help his family, so that his daughters can have "the future they deserve." Shahanara Begum, a housewife of Khalishpur Housing Bazar, said she has known Muslima for 22 years. “She is a pure soul. We would be very happy if any rich people or the governments invest in her,” Shahanara said gratefully.  Jaseda Rani Biswas, one of her loyal customers, said that Muslima always delivers with her top notch service and quality products. “Since her husband fell ill, she sells goods from house to house and provides for her family," she added. Taslima Begum Muslima, the hero of the story said,” First I started selling women's accessories with a bag on my shoulder, which led to severe back pain. Later I found out that the bones of my spine were permanently damaged.” “So I had to buy a bicycle with whatever little savings I had. Every day, I sell products merely worth TK 100-200.  It will be very helpful if anyone invests in me.” Many people suffer from heart disease in Bangladesh. Most of the middle-income and lower income people among them, fail to bear the health expenses. SM Kamrul Haque, head of the cardiology department of Khulna Sheikh Abu Nasser hospital, told UNB that there are 30 specialised beds at his medical facility dedicated to heart patients. “Three and a half crore people of this region must depend on this facility here for cardiac treatment,” he said. Also read: 24pc of female online entrepreneurs shut businesses in June: Study According to Dr Haque, 'a life of excess' that shuns the concept of control over one's desires, is the surest ticket to developing heart disease.  Eating too much, smoking too much, sleeping too much or conversely when it comes to exercising, which is a control function, you don't do it enough.