The release of Jaha Alam

Finally, after spending three years in prison, Jaha Alam has been released. Alam and his family have suffered untold sufferings. A poor jute mill worker, Jaha Alam has languished in jail since February 2016. His situation came to light after the story was reported by newspapers. Alam was mistakenly arrested in connection with cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for misappropriation of about Tk 185 million from Sonali Bank.

I believe that the people who botched the investigation should be immediately fired and arrested. Jaha Alam should be compensated for the sufferings he and his family went through.

Many more like Jaha Alam are probably suffering in prison. Over the years, many dailies have reported about 80-year old men, handicapped beggars and children being indicted in ghost cases. This is very unfortunate. I sincerely hope that the government will look into these issues. Law enforcement agency officials and other government departments need to properly investigate and verify identifications of suspects before arresting them.

Sajjad Hossain

Gulshan, Dhaka