Dhaka:The High Court has ordered the immediate release of a man who was wrongfully imprisoned for 10 months after being mistakenly identified as a convict in an arms case. The man's arrest was due to similarities in names and addresses between him and the actual convict.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the order was issued by a High Court bench comprising Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan, following a judicial inquiry that confirmed the man's innocence. The inquiry established that the man in custody, Md Almas, was not the individual convicted in the arms case. The true convict, sentenced to a decade in prison, is currently absconding and residing in Canada.
The judicial inquiry report, submitted on November 5, revealed significant discrepancies in the identities of the arrested man and the real convict. Md Almas, the man wrongly detained, is the son of Sheikh Khalil from Kusumhati in Dohar, Dhaka. In contrast, the actual convict, Md Almachh, is identified as the son of Md Khalilur Rahman from Purba Dhoair village under Nayabari Union in Dohar. The mistake arose from partial similarities in their names and addresses, leading to the wrong arrest.
Further investigation by Senior Judicial Magistrate Mahfuzur Rahman identified differences in their addresses, family backgrounds, and personal details, such as age and occupation. The inquiry concluded that the detained Md Almas and the actual convict are distinct individuals, and the arrest was a result of mistaken identity.