The father is in prison. The mother has left behind her three young, uncomprehending children — a heartbreaking situation that has unfolded in the Muktirbagh area of Kalindi union, Keraniganj, Dhaka. Village police found the children crying in the street. They were later rescued with the help of local residents and taken to Keraniganj Model Police Station.
According to local and police sources, the eldest of the three children is 8, the second is 5, and the youngest is three months old. They said the children’s father is currently held at Kashimpur jail.
Local residents said the children’s mother had recently moved into a rented house in the Muktirbagh area, owned by Torab Ali. But three days ago, the mother left the children and they were left on their own. No immediate, confirmed information was available about the mother’s current whereabouts.
Saddam Hossain, a village police officer with Kalindi Union Parishad, said he was returning home through the Muktirbagh area around 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, when he saw one child being carried and two others crying in the street. Realizing what had happened, he took the three children to safety with the help of local residents and handed them over to Keraniganj Model Police Station.
After the children were rescued, news of the incident spread in the area and a crowd of local residents gathered to see them. Many expressed sympathy for the three-month-old and showed interest in taking her in.
The three children had been going hungry for several days. With the youngest just three months old, concerns have grown over their safety, food, medical care and shelter. The question of who will immediately take guardianship of the children has become especially pressing given the mother’s absence and the father’s imprisonment.
Keraniganj Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Ruhul Kuddus said efforts are underway to arrange safe shelter for the two older children through the social services office, and that a temporary safe shelter is also being arranged for the three-month-old.