The Haunting of an Unclaimed Child

The story I'm about to share with you is a very sensitive one, so sensitive that we are obligated to conceal some of the locations involved. The person who sent us this story, we are also obligated to conceal his name. He is from the Goyalabazar area of Osmaninagar Thana in Sylhet district. He is a police constable, but currently, he is working at Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) 2. As you can understand, since we've said the story is sensitive, it has some connection to the law. Let's get to the story. When this incident happened to him, he told some of his batchmates, but they were reluctant to believe it. And it's very rare to find people who believe such things in the police force. Still, two or three of his batchmates were able to grasp the situation somewhat. Those two or three batchmates believed that something like this had actually happened to him. When the incident occurred, he was working in the police force. The incident happened sometime in 2023, on June 8th, 2023, he was transferred from Sylhet to a police investigation center in Habiganj district of the Sylhet division. If I mention the name of the investigation center, those who travel the Sylhet route, who have to go through Habiganj, will recognize the place and understand which investigation center it is. That's why I'm not mentioning it. And the day the incident started, the date was November 19th, 2023. On that day, an Urs Mahfil (Sufi saint's death anniversary celebration) was taking place in front of their police investigation center, and a large fair was also organized for the occasion. He wasn't on duty at that time; he had gone there with his batchmates to hang out. Suddenly, the Munshi (clerk) of his investigation center... Who are Munshis? Munshis are those who work at various investigation centers or police stations to write down cases or write applications. Sometimes someone from within the police force does this work, or sometimes someone from outside is given this responsibility.

Anyway, the investigation center's clerk called him and told him to come to the investigation center quickly because he had to go on an urgent duty. It was around 5 PM. So, as soon as he arrived at the investigation center, he was informed that a dead body had been found and he had to go for its post-mortem examination. Now, there was a rule in that outpost that the new recruit, if any PM (post-mortem) came up later, would have to take the body for the PM. Meaning, any new recruit would go for these. The next person would go when a new recruit came again. That's how the system was there. Now, he had no choice but to go.

He was new to that investigation center. Anyway, he agreed to go. Then he was told that the body hadn't been brought to the police station. There was a place within the area of this investigation center, a jungle adjacent to a market. Inside that jungle, there was a small pond that looked like a canal. Some people had seen it and informed them by phone. Then he set off with a Sub-Inspector to retrieve the body. He hurriedly got dressed and ready. He was going with his Sir and a senior driver. Actually, there are fewer police officers in an investigation center; it's not like you go with a huge force. A few people have to go together, and an officer of the rank of Sub-Inspector has to go because he has to prepare the inquest report. The inquest report is about the condition of a dead body when it's found, the condition in which they found it, what the surrounding environment was like, whether there were any marks on its body, or what he observed. Because when they are trained, they are taught how to prepare an inquest report. And then there's the post-mortem examination. So, anyway, that's why an officer has to go.

So, they had gone there, and two or three local people were already there to greet them. They were standing there and informed them that the rest of the way couldn't be traveled by car because cars don't go on that path. They would have to walk half a kilometer, and there aren't any people living in that area. So, they got out of the car and started walking with those people. They didn't encounter anyone else along the way. The place was very desolate and silent. As they walked, they eventually reached the spot. Upon arriving, they saw that the body wasn't of an adult; it was the body of a child. The area was deserted, surrounded by trees, bushes, and vines.

And the path was like a small embankment between fields, with trees and vines on both sides. There wasn't really a proper path to walk on to get to that place. After walking for 20 minutes, when they reached the spot, they saw it. There was a ditch-like canal with very little water, not enough for anyone to drown in. And the child hadn't drowned either. Half of the baby's body was in the water, and half was above. Seeing this, a pang of emotion struck them. Who could have left such a small child's body here? Many questions arose in their minds.

Since no parents or relatives of the child had contacted them yet, and no one had come to the police station or investigation center to inquire, they provisionally considered the body as unclaimed, according to procedure. And he was also thinking about how a person could do such a thing. Someone must have done this. Now, the body was lifted out of the water, and the Sub-Inspector began writing the description of the body on a piece of paper. After examining the body closely, he realized that it was a baby girl, probably seven to ten days old. Seeing the body, everyone present felt a great sense of pity that someone could kill a baby and leave her there.

Anyway, the fact that it was a murder, it's almost certain that he didn't just die on his own because there were several signs of murder on the child's body. A child of at most 10 days old who can't walk, can't talk, shouldn't have any quarrels with anyone, but why such a cruel death happened to him is a matter for investigation. So anyway, to take the body, they used a polythene bag. They put the body in a polythene bag. The body was small, I mean the child was very small. Then they started walking. After walking for about twenty minutes, they came back to their car. They put the child in the car and started for the investigation center. It was about 8:00 PM when they arrived at the investigation center. After arriving at the investigation center, the IC sir, the officer in charge of the investigation center, was informed that the body had to be taken to Habiganj Government Medical College at 10:00 AM for post-mortem examination. For the time being, the body had to be kept there, inside the car, that's what he said. So anyway, the work was done accordingly, and a baseman was assigned to look after the body, one of the basemen of the person who sent us the incident. He had his meal and went to see the fair again. He was upset, but he went to see the fair. After watching the fair like this, he returned to the investigation center around 1:00 AM. When he arrived, his teammate who was guarding the body told him about an unusual thing, that something was moving inside the polythene bag. So he didn't dare to see what it was. Then this brother, what did he do? He checked the polythene again to see if any rats or frogs had entered inside. He opened the polythene and saw that everything was fine, the body was in a completely normal condition. He also heard some jokes about it, like "What did you see from what?" In the morning, he left for Habiganj with the body, as it was a long way to go and it would take all day, so he took a friend of his with him, who was from that area.

So, after going to the medical facility, when the body was taken to the morgue, the morgue worker (Dom) asked for some money. And since it was an unclaimed child's body, he felt a lot of sympathy for the child. Since there was no one to pay, he was compelled to bear all the expenses himself. Around 1:30 PM, the Dom told him that the doctor had arrived and the autopsy would be performed in his presence. Anyway, within a short time, roughly an hour, the body was handed over to him after completing the necessary formalities. After receiving the body, he spoke on the phone with the IC (In-charge) Sir of his investigation center. He (IC Sir) said that since it was an unclaimed body and you were there from the beginning, and you have developed a sense of sympathy for the body, you should bathe and shroud the body yourself and complete the burial rites before coming to the investigation center. Then, Anjuman Mufidul Islam was contacted. Many of you know Anjuman Mufidul Islam, those who are involved in burying unclaimed bodies. So, after contacting this organization, they also arrived. After the Asr prayer, everyone gathered with the body on Habiganj Cemetery Road. Around 4 PM, after finishing the Asr prayer there, the Janaza (funeral prayer) was held. The bathing had already been done there, as there was a place for bathing. Then the burial took place. The child was so endearing that it's hard to believe without seeing it. A very innocent face. The reason I'm saying this is because this brother (the officer) sent us various pictures, from where he recovered the dead body, how he worked, right up to the burial. For obvious reasons, we are not publishing those pictures. Anyway, six to seven people performed the Janaza prayer and the burial was done. After that, he also left for his investigation center. After arriving at the investigation center, that night he told his wife everything about how the incident happened and what he did. He himself has a daughter, so he can understand how strong the affection for a child can be. After that, for two to three days, he kept thinking about that child. And according to the rules, they are investigating why this incident happened, who is behind it, why the child died, who killed the child.

But no information was available. On the fifth day, he had a dream in his sleep at night. In the dream, a child who looked like that little boy, wearing very beautiful clothes, came to him and said, "Uncle, have you forgotten me? Don't you remember me?" After seeing this, he woke up. He was thinking that he probably saw the dream because he was thinking about the child. He fell asleep again, but he didn't have any more dreams that night. From the next day, for another three consecutive days, he had the same dream where the child came and said, "Uncle, have you forgotten me? Don't you remember me?" He took the matter normally. He told his wife and his two batchmates about the matter. His batchmates laughed and joked about it, and his wife said, "It's all in your head. You're overthinking it, so it's affecting your dreams." After two days, he had the same dream again, but this time the child said, "Uncle, can you do me a favor? Please find my parents. I don't know my parents. You brought me here, so I come to you in your dreams. Please find my parents for me." Now, he says in the dream, "I tried, but I couldn't find anyone. No one contacted me. How can I bring your parents to you?" Then the child exclaims, "Then bring me the ones who didn't let me live in this beautiful world!" Then the man says in the dream, "Who didn't let you live?" Then the child says, "I wasn't born dead. I was born alive. I was murdered. Find out who killed me." As soon as he heard this, he woke up. He couldn't sleep that night. He was very scared, wondering what was happening to him. After that, he took three days off and went home. He told his wife everything. His wife didn't want to believe it, saying, "In 2023, how can such a thing happen? It's all in your head."

Anyway, after that, his wife's aunt's husband gave him the contact of a *Kaviraj* (traditional healer). He shared everything with him, and the *Kaviraj* said that the child had a good *Jinn* (spirit) with him, and after he was killed, that good *Jinn* is the one appearing in your dreams. However, this *Jinn* won't harm you. He did as much exorcism as was needed. Then his three-day leave ended, and he returned to his workplace. Things went well for three or four days there. On the fourth day, he dreamt again. This time, in the dream, the child said, "Uncle, have I ever harmed you? You have helped me so much. You buried me, gave me a bath, and performed the *Janaza* (funeral prayer). I will help you, not harm you." Then, in the dream, the brother said, "Why do you keep coming to me in my dreams? What more can I do for you? I can't do anything else. I have done what I could. I have no more power. If I had the power, I would definitely do it." Then the child said again, "Inquire more thoroughly and see who killed me." The next day, this brother, while on duty with the Sub-Inspector who had done the initial report that day, told him everything. Now, that Sub-Inspector says, "I also tried a lot, but I couldn't find any information or clues about this. Who can I catch, what can I say? I also inquired myself. I felt bad seeing the child, but it's not possible to pursue this any further." The Sub-Inspector said that there was a big *Urs* (Sufi festival) and a lot of fairs around that time, and many people had come.

So, taking advantage of that huge gathering, maybe someone came there and, seizing the opportunity, brought the body and dumped it inside. If you walk around in a place where there aren't many people, people might get suspicious. If someone asks, they'll say, "I'm here for the Urs," so no one will say anything. That's probably why they used this opportunity. And if a child went missing from this area, we would definitely get the news. It must be from some distant place outside our area. And even in that distant place, the matter hasn't been reported to the local police station. So, it's very difficult to move forward with this matter. That's what the Sub-Inspector told that brother. Anyway, they tried to investigate from their end, but they didn't get any news. There was no missing person report either, like a child has gone missing, someone has taken them, nothing like that. So, it's really tough to make progress since there are no clues.

Anyway, a few days after this incident, that child came to him in a dream again. That day, the child was crying a lot and saying, "Uncle, didn't you find me? Okay, I'll tell you, my maternal grandfather beats me ever since I was born and leaves me here whenever he gets the chance. I don't want to turn them in to the police, so I won't tell you who they are or where their house is. Since you couldn't find me yourself, then forget it. But you should visit my grave sometimes. Allah will bless you. I won't come to your dreams anymore, and you won't have to go to any exorcist either. The problem you're having, being scared because I came in your dream, that problem will be gone. And you will get the reward for the good deed you did, Inshallah."

After saying this, the brother woke up. Anyway, after that, a month passed. He kept thinking about the child from time to time. On April 15, 2024, he, along with his wife and daughter, left Dhaka for Sylhet for a vacation because he had shifted to Dhaka with his family.So, he was crossing the Bhairab area after reserving a car, but before even getting there, while getting onto the elevated expressway, the car collided with a bike. By the grace of Allah, there wasn't a major accident. He was about to get onto the elevated expressway, you see. Bikes aren't usually allowed on the elevated expressway anyway. Then, when he reached near the Bhairab Bridge, the car had an accident with an auto-rickshaw. The car's tire came off. A major accident could have happened, but by the grace of Allah, nothing major happened in that sense. Just the car tire came off, the auto-rickshaw had a slight impact, and the driver suffered minor injuries to his hand and head – that's all. That night, the little girl came to him in his dream again and said, "Uncle, you see, you've received the reward for your kindness. By the will of Allah, you've been saved from a major accident. May Allah bless you. I won't come in your dreams or in reality anymore." Since April 15th, he hasn't seen that little girl in his dreams. He finds it hard to believe that such incidents can still happen in 2024. I spoke to him on the phone. He is currently working at the Rapid Action Battalion-2 office on Bosila Road in Mohammadpur. I'm not revealing his name or which investigation center he was at, as you can understand the sensitivity of the matter, since it involves law enforcement. So, we had to avoid many details. Dear listeners, many people are brutally murdering children like this. How ruthless can people be that even children aren't spared? May Allah protect us. If young children die, they become the reason for their parents' salvation in the afterlife. That child was killed by her own maternal grandfather. Since the child said it in a dream and there were no other clues – no name, no details about where or how – the matter remains a mystery. Perhaps the knot of this mystery will never be untied.