'The UNO Will Be Responsible for My Death': AC Land's Facebook Posts, a Night of Drama, Now Under Treatment in Dhaka
Md Arifur Rahman Shanto, Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Jamalganj upazila in Sunamganj, made two consecutive posts on Facebook. In one he wrote, 'Shilpi Rani Modak (UNO) will be responsible for my death.' In the other he wrote, 'I resign from admin cadre'. The two posts on the official Facebook page created widespread curiosity and discussion in the area. However, the posts were deleted a short while later.
The two posts appeared on the page named 'AC Land Jamalganj' at midnight on October 23. In the post, Jamalganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shilpi Rani Modak was blamed for his death.
Immediately after the posts, it was announced from the UNO's official Facebook that the AC Land's Facebook had been hacked. Later the UNO said she had not known earlier that the AC Land was ill. The hack claim was made to keep the situation normal. Later she learned that the AC Land's wife had deleted the two posts.
It is learnt that right after the posts, Jamalganj police station OC Bande Ali, Bhimkhali UP Chairman Akhtaruzzaman, local journalist Wali Ullah Sarkar and many others went to the AC Land's home. At that time the AC Land's wife said her husband was ill. Then a doctor from Jamalganj Upazila Health Complex came, gave primary treatment and administered sleeping medicine. Later that night he was taken to Sylhet. There he was taken first to Mount Adora Hospital and then to Osmani Medical College Hospital, where the duty doctor referred him to Dhaka. He is currently under treatment at a hospital in Dhaka's Dhanmondi area.
Md Arifur Rahman Shanto has been serving in Jamalganj for about two months. He lived at the upazila headquarters with his wife. Quoting his family, the UNO said he is mentally ill.
The UNO and local sources said the matter had so far remained within the family sphere. On Friday night, the AC Land attended UNO Shilpi Rani Modak's daughter's birthday event with his wife. After the cake was cut, he began behaving abnormally. At that time he allegedly beat up the Ansar members assigned to the UNO's security, broke four glasses and beat two children in front of the house. Amid this, he made those two Facebook posts. To handle the situation, the UNO phoned the police station OC seeking security. Police came and took the AC Land into a room.
Several local people said that night the AC Land beat an Ansar member and threatened, in front of the UNO, to kill her daughter. He behaved rudely with whoever he came across on the street.
UNO Shilpi Rani Modak said the AC Land attended her daughter's birthday event last night with his wife. From after the birthday cake was cut, he behaved abnormally. He raised his hands on my Ansar members and then beat the children too. Talking to his family, I learned he has to be given two sleeping injections regularly. But these medicines are not available at any pharmacy in Jamalganj. Besides, since his wife is pregnant, my worry grew further. Then, compelled, I phoned the police and the hospital's RMO, brought them home and started his primary treatment.
She added that his family members said he is mentally ill. He is being treated at a hospital in the capital.
Local journalist Wali Ullah Sarkar said, seeing the AC Land's behaviour last night, it seemed he has been ill for a long time. He behaved very badly with whoever came in front of him. His wife said he would become normal if given the injection. But such an injection was not available in Jamalganj. Later he was sent to Sylhet at night.
Bhimkhali Union Parishad Chairman Akhtaruzzaman said, in the presence of the police OC and the UNO, his wife said he is mentally ill. Apparently this happens from time to time. The problem arose because the injection he is regularly given was not available.
Jamalganj police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Bande Ali said, I got the UNO's phone call and went to the spot with police. As his wife said, a sleeping medicine was brought and given. But it was not working. Then when an injection was mentioned, it was not found in Jamalganj. After that, after 1 am, he was sent to Sylhet.
While discussion over the incident continues in the area, the picture that has emerged so far from the statements of those involved is of a night of crisis of an ill officer. Whether he will return to normal after treatment and be able to resume duty will have to wait to be known.
