7-yr-old son shows signs of mental trauma

The seven-year-old boy who witnessed the brutal murder of his mother Mahmuda Khanam Mitu in Chittagong last month is now showing signs of psychological problem.

“Sometimes, Maheer speaks incoherently. He is taking some mental treatment now,” said his grandfather Musharraf Hossain.

The boy responds negatively to all questions and says things that do not make any sense, he told this correspondent yesterday after the chehlum (the marking of 40 days of someone's death) of Mitu at his residence at Khilgaon in the city.

Three assailants on a motorcycle hacked and then shot Mitu to death in front of Akter Mahmud Maheer some 200 yards from their house near GEC Intersection in Chittagong on June 5.

One of the assailants held Maheer as Mitu, wife of SP Babul Akter, was stabbed and shot. After the assailants let go of him, Maheer ran towards his house from the bloody spot.

Babul, who is credited with busting several militant dens and arresting several top militants, is now attached to the police headquarters.

Following Mitu's murder, he was picked up from his father-in-law's house and interrogated for 15 hours at the Detective Branch office on Minto Road over his alleged link to the murder.

Police and family sources said Babul signed his resignation letter while in custody as he was left with two options -- face trial for his alleged link or quit job.

It came after some suspects reportedly told investigators that they killed Mitu on Babul's instructions.

Police authorities or investigators did not officially make any comment about it.   

The resignation letter, however, is yet to be formally submitted to the police headquarters, sources said.

Asked if Babul indeed resigned, his father-in-law, himself a former police official, yesterday said he was not aware about it because Babul did not say anything in this regard.

Replying to another query, he said, “I think he is still in the job because according to newspaper reporters the resignation letter in question was not submitted.”

Asked why Babul does not go to office, Musharraf said he had no idea about that.