Jashore man spent 4 months in jail for crime he didn't commit

After spending four months behind bars for a crime he didn't commit, a day labourer has been released from Jashore Central Jail.

A court in Jashore yesterday ordered Mintu Mollah's release after the matter was brought to its notice.

Police had arrested Mintu, in place of Ashraf Ali, in a loan default case and he was later sent to judicial custody, according to Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) Jashore Coordinator Advocate Mostafa Humayun Kabir.

Confusion arose as fathers' names of Mintu and Ashraf are similar, he said.

While Mintu is the son of late Mohar Ali Mollah of Benapole's Dighirpar area, Ashraf's late father's name is Mohar Ali, also of Dighirpar area.

Mintu had earlier informed the jail authorities about this, but no one paid any heed to it. Last Saturday, two Deputy Secretaries of the Ministry of Law visited Jashore Central Jail and Mintu complained to them as well.

Subsequently a probe was ordered. The investigation by BLAST and Legal Aid found that the case was that of a mistaken identity. Finally, Mintu was released on Thursday.

SI Masum of Benapole Port Police Station picked up Mintu from his house around 10 pm on November 16, 2020. At the time of his arrest, he was shown the arrest warrant issued in the name of Ashraf Ali.

Next morning, the family members went to the police station with a copy of his birth registration certificate but police didn't release him, and he was sent to central jail.