Dhaka, June 12 – A Dhaka court on Tuesday sentenced two persons to life term imprisonment for stealing a newborn baby from Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and trafficking about a decade ago.
The life term sentenced convicts are Jharna Begum, a resident of Boardbazar Kunuapachu area in Gazipur and Manik of Chanmara slum at Fatullah of Narayanganj.
Dhaka’s Third Anti-Human Trafficking Offence Tribunal Judge Jayashree Samadder pronounced the verdict. The court also fined the convicts Tk 50,000 each, in default, to suffer 6 months more in the prison. Convict Manik is in jail, while Jharna is on the run. However, the court acquitted DMCH’s guard Abdul Matin and special nurse Shila from the charges.
According to the case statement, a woman was detained along with a newborn child from a house in Rampura Wapda Road under Khilgaon Police Station. The woman confessed that the child was not her own. Police rescued another child from the same building.
The police investigation found that the children were stolen from Dhaka Medical College Hospital by Jharna and Manik in association with the hospital guard Matin and nurse Shila.
In January 2006, a case was filed with Khilgaon Police Station in this connection under the Anti-Human Trafficking Offence Act. During the investigation, the accused made confessional statements in a court under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Earlier in December 2005, a case was lodged with Sabujbagh Police Station of the city on charges of stealing a newborn from DMCH. – Court Correspondent
