Tale of a Freed Convict
<i>A moment's 'mistake' costs Mannan 17 precious years</i>
Abdul Mannan (in white), released from jail along with 1,000 long-term convicts under government amnesty, sitting with his relatives and neighbours on the premises of his house at Khalisa Pancha village in Nilphamari Sadar upazila on Saturday.Photo: STAR
Abdul Mannan, 55, released from Nilphamari district jail on Friday noon, is one of a thousand long-term convicts who recently got the government's amnesty. As his octogenarian father Abdus Samad of Khalisa Pancha village in Nilphamari Sadar upazila came forward to embrace him at the jail gate, an emotion-choked Mannan asked about his child Minara Aktar, received as an adopted daughter by a childless couple 18 years ago. The sad tale began when Mannan brought an end of his wife's life following a heated exchange over a trivial matter, said neighbours of the ill-fated man. Mannan's only daughter Minara was six months' old when he was sentenced to life term imprisonment on September 28, 1993 on charge of killing her mother. Her foster parents, a childless couple of a neighbouring village, brought her up with great care and arranged her schooling. Now she reads in class ten. Since childhood, Minara has been used to hearing from friends and neighbours that she is daughter of a life term convict who had killed her mother. So, a sense of stigma coupled with an unpleasant conception about her father developed in her mind. After release of her father on Friday afternoon, at the advice of her foster parents, she came to her grandfather's house to see him. Seeing her father, she smiled, then burst into tears and became senseless afterwards. When she got back sense, she stared at him and finally addressed, "Father, how are you?" Abdul Mannan put hands on her head, remaining speechless. Perhaps he had forgotten the words to express sweet feelings. Shortly afterwards, Minara went back to the house of her foster parents who brought her up with love and affection, like real father and mother. She wants to reside there. Mannan became reluctant, realising how lonely he is. Yet, he has started thinking of arranging a good marriage for his daughter, to see her live happily. But he is a pauper now. His father earlier sold all their landed property to bear expenses of his case. “A mistake has ruined my life,” murmurs Mannan, now a sadder and wiser man.
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