Milton Samadder: A ‘humanitarian’ now faces barrage of accusations
Following his arrest on Wednesday, a Dhaka court has placed Milton on a three-day remand
Milton Samadder, a social media figure with more than 16 million Facebook followers, was apprehended by the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on 1 May. The arrest was made in connection with alleged falsification of death certificates for around 835 individuals associated with his charity home "Child and Old Age Care" in the capital.
Starting as an ordinary man from a Barishal village, Milton Samadder gradually positioned himself as a humanitarian, with intermittent years spent working as a pharmacy salesperson in pursuit of prosperity.
In various interviews across media platforms, he revealed aspirations of pursuing a career in Bangla cinema, with the late renowned actor Manna serving as his inspiration. However, this dream remained unrealised. It was not until he established a child and old age shelter home in the capital's Mirpur in 2013, that he gained recognition and wealth.
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According to media reports, Milton has so far received three awards from the government for his humanitarian work.
This humanitarian persona has now given way to another side of Milton Samadder. He stands accused of misappropriating funds donated by mass people, subjecting sheltered individuals to mistreatment, and engaging in the illegal sale of their organs through "Child and Old Age Care".
Founded by Milton, Child and Old Age Care is a charity organisation that provides shelter to the helpless, sick, homeless elderly and disabled children on the streets, according to the details stated on the organisation's website.
Following the arrest, a Dhaka court on Thursday (2 May) granted a three-day remand for Milton Samadder in a case filed over alleged forgery of death certificates.
The case was lodged with the Mirpur model police station on 1 May. Additionally, two more cases were registered against Milton with the same police station by victims, accusing him of human trafficking and fraudulence.
Milton, the chairman of the charity organisation, was arrested by police from Mirpur, Dhaka, on the same day.
Following his detention, the DB announced plans to interrogate Milton regarding various allegations of misconduct within his charity organisation.
Harun Or Rashid, the additional commissioner of the Detective Branch of Police, told reporters, "According to several interviews of Milton Samadder published in different media, he claimed that he set up an operating theatre inside his old age home. We will quiz him on why he set up an operation theatre without any licence and proper authorisation."
Media reports accused Milton of selling organs in the name of medical treatment by picking up sick, helpless and innocent people from the streets under the guise of humanitarian work, he said.
The reports also claimed that many of those who passed away in his old age home had cuts on their bodies, leading the nearby Baytus Salah Mosque to decline to perform the bathing ritual for the deceased, said the DB chief.
However, Milton has denied all the allegations brought against him. He has previously claimed to have buried 900 bodies through his organisation.
DB chief Harun also said, "He could not provide proper death certificates for 835 persons out of the 900 he claimed to have buried. He has forged at least 835 death certificates. We will grill him thoroughly.
"He used to bury the dead bodies during nighttime. When we asked about the matter, he replied that he did so to avoid people's questions."
Speaking about Milton's past, the DB chief said hailing from Barsihal's Uzirpur upazila, Milton left his hometown after beating his own father. "The locals drove him away."
Harun continued, "Later, Milton got a job at a pharmacy in Dhaka's Shahbagh. However, he lost his job on allegations of theft. He then met a nurse and married her. Later he decided to set up a child and old care centre."
On 28 April, the National Human Rights Commission demanded a speedy investigation into the allegations levelled against Milton Samadder.
The constitutional body requested the police to investigate the complaints closely, take appropriate legal action and send a report to the commission at the earliest.
At the same time, the director general of the Department of Social Services has been asked to investigate the activities of such institutions and take necessary measures.
