Father sold one-and-a-half-year-old child to buy iPhone

Father Md Maruf had told grandmother Mahfuza Begum in the morning to dress the grandchild in clothes as he will take him to the market for a walk. After dressing the one-and-a-half-year-old child Musa Maruf left the house with him. But neither the father nor the son returned home even after the evening passed.

When the worried family started searching sensational information came to the fore—Maruf has sold his own one-and-a-half-year-old son for one lakh taka to buy an iPhone. This incident occurred last Saturday morning in Munshibari area of Boro Gopaldi village under Betagi-Sankipur union of Dashmina upazila of Patuakhali. The accused Maruf is a carpenter by profession and the son of Mofiz Munshi of that village.

It is learnt citing the child’s grandmother and local sources that Maruf left the house around 8am on Saturday saying he is going to the market. Not getting any news for a long time the family contacted Maruf’s maternal uncle Bahadur Mia. Later when he was taken to Dhaka and interrogated the family claimed he did not admit anything at first. However at one stage Maruf admitted that he has sold his son Musa in writing for one lakh taka to Imran Hossain of Romanathsen village under Alipur union of Dashmina upazila to buy an iPhone.

According to the family’s statement Maruf went to Dhaka with that money and bought a new iPhone by exchanging an old iPhone.

Grandmother Mahfuza Begum informed that about four years ago Maruf married a young woman of Savar and brought her home. After three years Musa was born in their house. About one month ago Maruf’s wife went to her father’s house due to family dispute, after that Maruf also stayed for a few days and returned home before the evening last Friday. Losing the grandchild this elderly woman has sought cooperation from the administration.

On the other hand Imran Hossain against whom the allegation of buying the child has been raised claimed that Maruf had been telling him for a long time about giving the child. Informing that his father-in-law has five daughters but no son he said for this reason he has taken the child in writing in exchange of one lakh taka on the basis of discussion and later given him to the in-laws’ house.

Local residents have informed the incident along with quickly rescuing the child and returning him to the family.

Officer-in-charge (OC) of Dashmina police station Md Atikul Islam has informed that after receiving the complaint police is working on the spot to rescue the child and the next legal activities are ongoing.