July uprising: Man claiming to be ‘deceased’ husband appears three months after wife filed murder case

In a dramatic twist, a man presumed dead, for whom a murder case was filed by his wife in August, has surfaced alive. 

Al Amin, who claimed to be the one presumably killed during a victory procession following the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August, appeared at a police station in Sylhet on Monday (11 November) to report he was alive and filed a general diary.

The case, initially filed by his wife Kulsum Begum on 24 October at the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Dhaka, claimed her husband was shot dead in a procession in the Ashulia area of the capital. 

The case was officially recorded at Ashulia police station on 8 November, accusing former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 130 others.

Upon appearing in Sylhet's South Surma police station, Al Amin asserted that his wife's claims were false. 

Sylhet police confirmed his presence and transferred him to Ashulia police station. 

The case's investigating officer, Md Rakibul Hossain, told The Business Standard, "Al Amin was brought to the court today (13 November) as part of our investigation. He claims his wife filed a false case by declaring him dead. We are trying to contact Kulsum Begum, but we have been unsuccessful so far."

Ashulia police station's Officer-in-Charge Abu Bakar Siddique, commented, "Only the plaintiff can verify the identity of this man. For now, we have presented him in court. Further actions will follow as our investigation continues."

Al Amin denies his wife's claim

In his statement, Al Amin said, "On 5 August, my wife was in Sylhet with me. We had an argument a few days later, and she left for Manikganj. I haven't been in contact with her since then. A few days ago, a person named Shiplu called to inform me that she had filed a case, claiming I was killed in the 5 August protests."

Following this, Al Amin went to the South Surma police to report his situation. 

"I filed a general diary and consulted with the officer-in-charge before being transferred to Ashulia police," he said.

Case background

In her initial complaint, Kulsum Begum, 21, stated that her husband, Al Amin Mia, 34, had joined the protests of the Anti-discrimination Movement on 5 August and was participating in a victory march near Ashulia's Baipail intersection. 

According to Kulsum, "Awami League activists opened fire on protesters, and my husband was killed in the gunfire."

The plaintiff alleged that, despite an extensive search, she couldn't locate her husband. 

On 6 August, she approached the Ashulia Women and Children's Hospital, where she reportedly learned about a large number of unidentified bodies buried by the hospital. After examining the hospital records and photos, she claimed to have identified her husband's body.

Kulsum's lawyer, Iqbal Hossain, when asked for comment, said, "I am only handling procedural filings and do not have detailed knowledge of the case."

He referred further inquiries to his senior colleague, Shamsul Alam, who explained, "We filed the case based on documents provided by the plaintiff, including evidence related to the burial of the body she identified as her husband's."

Police have yet to confirm the validity of Al Amin's identity in connection to the murder case. 

Further investigation will proceed as officials seek to contact the plaintiff, Kulsum Begum.

Police have yet to confirm the validity of Al Amin's identity in connection to the murder case. 

Further investigation will proceed as officials seek to contact the plaintiff, Kulsum Begum.