Family says Tk60,000 was paid after a ransom demand; police are investigating whether the four classmates were directly involved.
Representational image. Photo: Collected
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Representational image. Photo: Collected
The body of a 14-year-old schoolboy was recovered from Patenga sea beach on Monday (17 August), three days after he went missing, while police arrested four of his classmates in a case over his disappearance.
The boy, Mufid Ahmed Shawon, was a Class 9 student at Chattogram Modern School. Shawon lived with his family in the Chuna Factory area of Chattogram. Their ancestral home is in Sandwip.
Confirming the matter, Halishahar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kazi Md Sultan Ahsan Uddin said all four accused had been arrested and later sent to jail through court.
“All four accused are juveniles,” he added.
According to his family members, Shawon went missing on 15 August after handing in his answer script an hour into a two-hour exam, after which he went to Patenga sea beach with friends. He did not return home that day, and his mobile phone could not be reached after 3pm.
His family said someone demanded Tk1 lakh in ransom, claiming that Shawon had been abducted and was being held captive. The family sent Tk60,000 through bKash.
His father, Mahbubur Rahman, said Shawon would normally call if he was going to be late, but he received no call from his son that afternoon.
The family later contacted Shawon’s friends and found inconsistencies in the information they gave. They filed a general diary with Halishahar Police Station that night.
Friends’ account
During police questioning, the boys who were with Shawon told police that they had all gone into the sea. They said Shawon began to be swept away by the waves at one point and that they tried to hold on to him.
But they said they could not bring him back to the surface and eventually left the area.
The boys did not inform Shawon’s family or police about the incident afterwards. The family also alleged that his schoolbag was thrown into the sea.
On Monday, Patenga police recovered the body of an unidentified boy from the beach. Shawon’s family later identified the body at the Chattogram Medical College Hospital morgue.
The body was handed over to the family after an autopsy.
Family suspects foul play
Shawon’s family does not believe the incident should simply be treated as a drowning.
They said the boys should have immediately informed the family or police if their account of Shawon being swept away was true. Their failure to do so, along with the alleged disposal of his schoolbag and the ransom demand, has deepened their suspicion.
Shawon’s father called for a proper investigation and exemplary punishment for those responsible.
Police, however, said it cannot yet be determined whether Shawon’s death was accidental or whether there was any other cause until the investigation is completed.
A case has been filed with Halishahar Police Station naming Shawon’s four classmates as accused.
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