News Desk :
The family of schoolgirl Mahmuda Akhter Bithi, who purportedly died in a motorcycle accident in Dhaka’s Hatirjheel in August last year, believes she was murdered, reports bdnews24.com.
“Now I understand it was not an accident. Bithi was taken to Hatirjheel and killed,” her mother Raushan Ara said in a media briefing at the Bangladesh Crime Reporters Association in Dhaka on Friday.
Bithi, who lived in Golapbagh, was a student of Class X in Dhalpur Kindergarten High School, according to Raushan Ara. Her father owns a tea shop. On August 14 last year, Bithi went next door to meet her friend. They later headed out for a walk.
As her daughter was being late to return, Raushan Ara called Bithi on her cellphone several times but she did not answer. At one point, a boy named Russell picked up the phone and said that Bithi had an accident.
In a tearful voice, Raushan Ara said, “After receiving the news, I went to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and saw Bithi lying unconscious. Russell then said that the incident took place when he was hit by an autorickshaw on his way to Mugda.” Bithi was subsequently transferred to Neuroscience Hospital before passing away in the early hours of August 16.
Raushan Ara said Bithi was in an unconscious state for two days, making it very difficult to get to the bottom of what had actually transpired. However, her girlfriend said they went to Hatirjheel by a motorcycle.
“Bithi got on the motorcycle of a boy named Naim. At one point, Naim threw her off the bike and she was seriously injured in the process.”
Bithi was taken to Dhaka Medical College by her girlfriend and Russell but Naeem ‘escaped’ from there, according to Raushan Ara. Bithi’s father Md Billal Hossain later filed a case under the Road Accident Act on August 16, accusing Naim, Russell and Bithi’s girlfriend.
“Despite repeatedly telling the police about what had happened, they prepared the case statement on their own. Bithi’s father is an ordinary tea shopkeeper and signed it without realising what was there.” said Raushan Ara.
She is now seeking the intervention of the prime minister and home minister to provide exemplary punishment for those responsible for Bithi’s death.
Asked about the allegations, Hatirjheel Police SI Subrata Debnath said, “The autopsy report mentions a road accident.”
He said there were no CCTV cameras on the slope of the bridge where the incident took place.
“However, after questioning the accused and eyewitnesses, I came to know that Bithi was sitting on the back of Naim’s motorcycle and inadvertently fell off the vehicle.”
Addressing Bithi’s mother’s statement, SI Subrata said she had been overcome “Naim and Russell are reportedly ill but Bithi’s mother is overcome with emotions.”
The family of schoolgirl Mahmuda Akhter Bithi, who purportedly died in a motorcycle accident in Dhaka’s Hatirjheel in August last year, believes she was murdered, reports bdnews24.com.
“Now I understand it was not an accident. Bithi was taken to Hatirjheel and killed,” her mother Raushan Ara said in a media briefing at the Bangladesh Crime Reporters Association in Dhaka on Friday.
Bithi, who lived in Golapbagh, was a student of Class X in Dhalpur Kindergarten High School, according to Raushan Ara. Her father owns a tea shop. On August 14 last year, Bithi went next door to meet her friend. They later headed out for a walk.
As her daughter was being late to return, Raushan Ara called Bithi on her cellphone several times but she did not answer. At one point, a boy named Russell picked up the phone and said that Bithi had an accident.
In a tearful voice, Raushan Ara said, “After receiving the news, I went to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and saw Bithi lying unconscious. Russell then said that the incident took place when he was hit by an autorickshaw on his way to Mugda.” Bithi was subsequently transferred to Neuroscience Hospital before passing away in the early hours of August 16.
Raushan Ara said Bithi was in an unconscious state for two days, making it very difficult to get to the bottom of what had actually transpired. However, her girlfriend said they went to Hatirjheel by a motorcycle.
“Bithi got on the motorcycle of a boy named Naim. At one point, Naim threw her off the bike and she was seriously injured in the process.”
Bithi was taken to Dhaka Medical College by her girlfriend and Russell but Naeem ‘escaped’ from there, according to Raushan Ara. Bithi’s father Md Billal Hossain later filed a case under the Road Accident Act on August 16, accusing Naim, Russell and Bithi’s girlfriend.
“Despite repeatedly telling the police about what had happened, they prepared the case statement on their own. Bithi’s father is an ordinary tea shopkeeper and signed it without realising what was there.” said Raushan Ara.
She is now seeking the intervention of the prime minister and home minister to provide exemplary punishment for those responsible for Bithi’s death.
Asked about the allegations, Hatirjheel Police SI Subrata Debnath said, “The autopsy report mentions a road accident.”
He said there were no CCTV cameras on the slope of the bridge where the incident took place.
“However, after questioning the accused and eyewitnesses, I came to know that Bithi was sitting on the back of Naim’s motorcycle and inadvertently fell off the vehicle.”
Addressing Bithi’s mother’s statement, SI Subrata said she had been overcome “Naim and Russell are reportedly ill but Bithi’s mother is overcome with emotions.”
