How could she kill her own child: grieving father’s cry

Shahin Mia broke down in tears while saying, “How could Aklima do this? Can anyone kill their own child?” His wife Aklima Begum has been accused of stabbing their two children in their own house in the dark of night. In the incident, their three-year-four-month-old son Md. Ashraful Islam was killed. Their seven-year-old daughter Sidratul Muntaha was seriously injured.

The incident occurred around 12:30am late on Wednesday night in Mujibnagar Mor area of Ward No. 4 under Borochowna Union of Sakhipur upazila in Tangail. Police have arrested Aklima Begum.

According to family and police sources, Shahin Mia married Nasima Akter about 30 years ago. As they had no children, Shahin married Aklima about five years ago with Nasima’s consent. After the marriage, he also brought Aklima’s daughter from her previous marriage, Sidratul Muntaha, into his household. About a year after the marriage, Ashraful was born to Aklima.

When Ashraful was about one year old, Aklima took a job at a garment factory in Bhaluka of Mymensingh. Due to the job, she left Muntaha and Ashraful at home. After that, the two children continued to grow up under Shahin Mia’s first wife Nasima. Local people said Ashraful used to call Nasima ‘mother’.

Three days ago, Aklima came home on seven days’ leave from the garment factory. Family members and local people informed that a dispute arose between the two when Ashraful wanted to stay with his elder mother Nasima at night. Later Ashraful went to sleep in Aklima’s room.

Shahin Mia informed that he returned home around 10pm on Wednesday. Ashraful had a cold, cough and breathing difficulty. He gave him gas from the gas machine kept at home. Around 11:30pm, Aklima went to sleep in a separate room taking her son Ashraful.

Around 12:30am, family members heard the sound of the two children’s cries from that room. Shahin Mia’s elderly mother was sleeping in the adjacent room. Hearing the cries, she woke up and opened the door. Then family members went inside the room and found both children in an injured condition. The family alleged that they had been stabbed.

Shahin Mia said, “Around 12:30am I heard the cries of my son and daughter. My mother woke up from sleep and opened the door of the room. Going there, I saw that Aklima had hacked both children.”

Later family members detained Aklima, tied her up in the courtyard of the house and informed the police. Police went and took her to the thana.

Local people first took the two injured children to Bhaluka Upazila Health Complex. The doctor on duty there declared Ashraful dead. Seriously injured Muntaha was later admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.

Sub-inspector of Sakhipur Thana Shahinur Rahman said it has been initially learned that after attacking the two children with a knife, Aklima herself had also attempted suicide. There are marks of knife injuries on her left hand.

Inspector (Investigation) of Sakhipur Thana Azharul Islam informed that the father of the deceased Ashraful, Shahin Mia, is preparing to file a case in this incident as the complainant.