The accused staffer of a state-run orphanage- ‘Chotomoni Nibas’ in Sylhet- has given a confessional statement in the murder case of a two-month-old infant Friday.
Sultana Ferdousi Siddiqa, employed by the Department of Social Services as a nanny, gave her statement after police produced her before Sylhet Metropolitan Court of magistrate Saifur Rahman and prayed for remand, said officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station SM Abu Farhad.
On Friday, Sultana was arrested in a murder case filed by Sub-inspector of the police station Mahbubul Alam Mandal.
Chhotomoni Nibas is a state-run orphanage located in Bagbari of Sylhet city run by the Department of Social Services.
According to police sources, closed-circuit camera footage of July 22 captured the disturbing footage of Sultana throwing the crying infant, Nabil Ahmed, out of his bed before shockingly suffocating him to death with a pillow.
Later, she tried to destroy the evidence of the murder with the help of other staffs and officials of the orphanage, said police.
On July 24 , a case of Unnatural Death was filed at the police station to cover up the incident. The murder of Nabil was buried with his body after a post-mortem.
On August 12, the case called attention of Deputy-Commissioner of SMP Azbahar Ali Sheikh and he immediately rushed to the orphanage with OC Abu Farhad and investigation officer of the case SI Mahbub.
As the incident of murder became evident from the CCTV footage, DC immediately asked to arrest the nanny.
Police said legal action will be taken against the authorities of the orphanage upon investigation as they were also involved in hiding the murder.
However, deputy director of Sylhet Social Service department Nibas Dash claimed no one tried to hide the murder as Sultana was immediately removed from her post, and a case was filed with the police station to investigate the matter.
The CCTV footage was also salvaged and handed to police, he said.
Director of the department Shandip Kumar Singha said finding the involvement of the nanny in a primary investigation, a report was sent to Dhaka office for taking action against her.
Identity of orphan Nabil
OC SM Abu Farhad said on June 12 Gowainghat station police handed over the then one month old orphan to Chotomoni Nibas, after he was born to a mentally ill homeless woman.
At the orphanage, he was named Nabil Ahmed and nanny Sultana Ferdousi Siddiqa was given the responsibility of taking care of him.
On the morning of July 23, Nabil was found dead in his bed.
Source: United News of Bangladesh