PBI: Rahima was not abducted, daughter Mariam staged ‘abduction drama’

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).

“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.

“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.

Rahima also made a statement to police that her neighbour abducted her following a land dispute, said Mushfiqur.

Later she also gave false statement accusing her neighbor at court, he said.

On August 27, last year, Rahima went missing after she had left her home – in Banikpara area of Doulatpur – to bring water.

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, 2022, 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).

On September 24 same year, Rahima Begum was found alive in Faridpur's Boalmari after remaining missing for 29 days.

Police arrested six people in connection with the case and of them four were granted bail after she was found.

A Khulna court handed over Rahima to her daughter Aduri on September 25 last year.