Police recover toddler sold by father for iPhone in Patuakhali
Photo Collected
A 15-month-old boy was reunited with his family on Monday after being sold by his father for approximately 100,000 taka, purportedly to fund the purchase of an iPhone. The handover took place at the Dashmina Upazila administrative office in Patuakhali, where Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Mahmud Hasan Mridha returned the toddler to his grandparents, Mofiz Munshi and Mahfuza Begum.
The child was recovered by Dashmina police late Sunday night from the Charbishwash area of Galachipa Upazila. Authorities subsequently apprehended the 22-year-old father, Maruf Munshi, in Dhaka. However, because family members declined to press formal charges, police released the father after he signed a bond.
UNO Mridha confirmed that preliminary investigations substantiated claims that the father had sold his son. The incident gained widespread attention on social media, prompting swift intervention from local law enforcement and administration. Beyond facilitating the child’s return, the Upazila administration provided financial assistance to the family.
Family members reported that Maruf had been estranged from his wife, Brishti Akter, and the child had been under the care of his grandmother, Mahfuza Begum. According to the family, the father took the child out on Saturday morning under the guise of going for a walk but failed to return. Investigations revealed that the child had been handed over to a man named Mohibul, whose son-in-law is a colleague of Maruf.
The transaction reportedly involved an initial payment of 52,000 taka as part of an agreed-upon 100,000 taka price. Mahfuza Begum alleged that Maruf used the funds, combined with his existing phone, to purchase a new iPhone.
Despite these claims, Maruf denied selling his son, maintaining that he had simply requested a loan of 100,000 taka from his colleague’s family to settle local debts. He admitted to receiving 52,000 taka and obtaining a phone, but contested the characterization of the event as a sale.
Dashmina Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Atiqul Islam stated that the child’s recovery was the result of a coordinated police operation following reports on social media. While the investigation into the transaction concluded with the child’s safe return, local authorities have emphasized that the decision not to pursue criminal charges against the father was made in the best interest of the child’s future and at the family’s request.
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