- Ibrahim Ali Sheikh spent 21 years in prison despite being proven innocent in 2017.
- His mother, Kohinoor Begum, worked in brick kilns and as a domestic worker to survive.
- His wife remarried, and his child grew up without him.
- Ibrahim was originally sentenced to death in a 2003 murder case but was later acquitted. Bureaucratic negligence caused him to remain in jail for seven extra years.
Ibrahim Ali Sheikh, known as Sagar, was released from Jessore Central Jail last Saturday evening after spending 21 years behind bars. He was proven innocent in 2017 and should have been released seven years ago, but the official order did not reach the prison on time.
Speaking about his struggles, Ibrahim said, “Life in the condemned cell was tough. But even outside, things are difficult. My mother, brother, and sister are struggling to survive. I have to do something, but I have no capacity. I don’t know what to do. My maternal family had a little land, but we sold it to cover legal expenses. Now people are coming to see me and calling me, but all I can think about is how I will survive.”
On February 4, the Khulna District Jail Superintendent’s office sent Ibrahim’s release papers to the Senior Jail Superintendent of Jessore Central Jail. His official address is listed as Hatirabad village in Batiaghata, Khulna.
When reporters visited his ancestral home in Char Hatirabad on Monday, they found that Ibrahim’s father still lived there, but Ibrahim and his family did not. Instead, he was staying in Bhavna-Kharibunia village in Bagerhat, at his brother-in-law Naosher Ali Khan’s house. His mother and brother also lived nearby in a small home on government land by the riverbank.
Ibrahim was only 21 or 22 years old when he was jailed. At that time, he lived with his mother in Amirpur village, Batiaghata. This is his first time at his new home. In 2003, when he was arrested, he had been married for about two years, and his child was only a few months old. While he was in jail, his child grew up and got married, and his wife divorced him.
His brother-in-law, Naosher Ali Khan, said, “He has nothing now—no wife, no family, no money. His in-laws remarried his wife, and his children live with their grandmother. The land we live on is newly formed from a riverbank. We didn’t get a place in Batiaghata, so we moved here to Fakirhat. Now Ibrahim is staying with me after his release.”
A Mother’s Joy and Pain
Ibrahim’s mother, Kohinoor Begum, was happy to have her son back but also deeply worried. She said, “After my son was jailed, we suffered a lot. We had no money, and there was no one to handle the case. We sold my father’s land to cover expenses. I worked in brick kilns and did housework to survive. My youngest son was little, two daughters were unmarried, and Ibrahim’s daughter was just a child. Life was full of pain. Now, by God’s will, my son is back, and I am happy. But how will we survive?”
She is also angry about the injustice. “He was acquitted seven years ago but had to stay in jail all this time. Who will answer for these wasted years? We won’t get any compensation.”
The Wrongful Conviction
According to prison records, Ibrahim was sentenced to death by a lower court in a 2003 murder case in Batiaghata. Later, he appealed to the High Court, which cleared him of all charges in 2017. However, his release order was delayed, and he remained in prison.
Ibrahim was convicted in four cases: the murder case, a life sentence under the Explosives Act, and two other cases with 10-year and 7-year sentences. He was acquitted of the murder and life sentence cases, while his time in prison covered the other sentences. Despite his acquittal, he remained in prison for years due to missing paperwork.
Ibrahim insists he was innocent. “I lost 21 years of my life for a crime I didn’t commit. The murdered man was like a brother to us. I was falsely accused. Back then, I had responsibilities. I worked as a night guard in Joypur Bazar and drove a van. I couldn’t afford a lawyer, so the government provided one, and maybe that’s why I didn’t get justice earlier.”
He explained that the other cases were connected to the murder case. “One was under the Explosives Act, and later, I was named in two more cases as a suspect.”
While in jail, Ibrahim befriended another prisoner who helped him file an appeal. “That man arranged for my appeal in the High Court. Later, he told me I was acquitted and would be released soon. He took my signature on legal documents. But then I heard he died, and after that, no one followed up on my case. I was transferred to Khulna Jail, and my documents got lost.”
Finally Got Released
A month and a half ago, while watching TV in prison, Ibrahim saw a helpline number for death row prisoners. He called on the designated day, and that call set things in motion.
In August 2023, he was transferred from Khulna Jail to Jessore Central Jail. Khulna Jail Superintendent Nasir Uddin told Prothom Alo, “We sent all necessary documents, including his release order, to Jessore Central Jail on time. We don’t know why there was a delay in executing the order.”
Advocate Kudrat-e-Khuda, President of Citizen for Good Governance (SUJAN) in Khulna, said, “This is simply inhumane. We claim to have the rule of law, but what kind of justice is this? The court acquitted him, yet he spent seven more years in prison. This proves that our justice system is broken. If the legal process is not properly managed, even an innocent person can suffer for years.”
News Source: Prothom Alo, a leading newspaper in Bangladesh.