News No. 01/2013, Thursday, January
03, 2013
THE police have rescued 16
Jumma children from Abuzor Giffari Mosque Complex under Sabujbagh Thana in the
capital, Dhaka, reports Samakal, a Bengali national daily, in its
today’s issue.
The children, aged between 3 to 14 years, are all from
the Chittagong Hill Tracts. They were rescued yesterday, Wednesday, from inside
the mosque at Patwari lane in Sabujbagh.
The police said the children were rescued and taken to Thana after receiving an allegation that they were converted
(to Islam) by force.
Parents of the eleven of these children took them back
after signing a bond.
Babul Mian, OC of Sabujbagh Thana, told Samakal: ‘The
children are from Rangamati and belong to Tripura nationality. They have been
rescued on the basis of information provided by Islamic Foundation. As no
parents came up for five of the children, we have decided to transfer them to a
government safe home.’
The OC further informed that the Abuzor Gifari Mosque
Complex is run by Islamic Foundation’s former Director General, Shamshul Alam,
who was also summoned to the Thana yesterday.
‘He has been released after interrogation because the
institution that he runs is legally approved by the government. However he has
been kept under watch.’ he added.
According to a source in the police, a few Madrassas in
the capital controlled by now incarcerated Jammat leader Kader Mollah bring in
peoples belonging to backward sections of the hill people in the CHT after
paying them money.
‘Later the children are indoctrinated with Shibir
(Jammat’s student wing) politics and trained in different subjects. Islamic
Foundation’s former DG Shamshul Alam had worked as assistant to this Jammat
leader.’ the source added.
14-year old Rabin Tripura told the police after his
detention that he had converted to Islam two years ago and begun his studies at
a Madrassa in Mirpur, Dhaka.
At the suggestion of a Madrassa teacher, he had got his
younger brother admitted to this madrassa at Sabujbagh, he added.
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