Five Children Allegedly Sold Over Six Years In Kishoreganj Village Amid Poverty And Drug Addiction
Poverty and drug addiction drive a shocking series of child sales in a rural pocket of Katiadi upazila over the past six years
A village of Katiyadi in Kishoreganj. Name North Charpukshia. The people of the village complained that five children here were sold by their parents in the last six years. Four incidents occurred in the last two years. Two children are from the same parents.
However, the two fathers say that they have adopted the child, money has not been exchanged. The whereabouts of the three children are unknown to their families. The latest complaint of child selling has reached the police station.
Last Saturday, September 12, we plowed that village. I heard from people that a child was sold a second time. Drug addiction and poverty in many families come again and again. Farzana Begum of the village gave birth to a baby boy on September 2. Her husband Zakir Mia, an auto-rickshaw driver, filed a written complaint with the police station on September 6 that she sold the child within a few hours. He made the complaint against five people including his wife and relatives. He said he didn't know anything. Farzana, however, says that her husband did it.
Broken house, no newborn
I went to Zakir Mia's house in the morning. Dilapidated tin house, walls cracked with rust. Zakir's mother Mina Begum was cooking in the yard.
After waking up, Zakir said that his wife Farzana told him that she had taken 60,000 taka in exchange for her son. Zakir said, I could not even see the puppet's face. Now I have none of the three children. I don't even know where my son is. The wife does not know.
Zakir says that Farzana was at her mother's house after the incident. Now he is hiding with the remaining two children. Later I spoke to Farzana on the phone. She said, 'Not me, my husband has abandoned my child.' She also said that her husband is a drug addict.
A match in the words of husband and wife. That is, no one knows the whereabouts of their children. Meanwhile, on September 29, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Katiyadi Police Station Rafiqul Islam said that Zakir Mia has withdrawn his complaint.
That morning in the grocery store near Zakir's house some children were talking about the sale. At least six said drug addiction was the main cause of the incidents. Zakir's neighbor Suman Mia said, 'There is no Charpukshia or Charpukshia. Drugged up. It's all over because of drugs. The house is over, the house is over. Ahan is also starting to choose his son.
Elsewhere, several people said that addiction to yaba and ganja has increased in the village. The communication system with the upazila administration is weak. As a result drug control is becoming difficult.
Several officers of Katiyadi police station said that there is a drug problem in Charpukshia but they could not give specific information quickly. Apart from that, they say, poverty is a bigger problem.
Sale of children in negotiations
Another of the accused is Zakir Mia, popularly known as 'Bal Zakir'. The people of the village alleged that he and his wife Ferdausi Begum sold their third child for money two years ago. According to some, both of them were drug addicts.
A year ago Ferdowsi moved away with her two children when allegations of child selling spread. On the morning of September 12, I went to their house and looked for Bal Zakir. He walked away without responding. Later, when he found him, he said, 'Neshafesher tehar laigga, not all this, I have given the feather (adopted).' However, he could not say to whom he gave. When asked whether he has met his child within two years, first he says 'Yes', then he says 'No'. At the end, he said that he did not know his whereabouts.
His younger brother Russell Mia, who came from abroad, said, 'My brother is at home, let's see. I do not know where the children of brothers and sisters live.
