Akayed visited Rohingya camps in Oct: Family

Smooth life for Akayed's 6-month-old son Ajjam stressed


FE Team | Published: December 14, 2017 21:04:42 | Updated: December 15, 2017 15:06:40


Akayed visited Rohingya camps in Oct: Family

Akayed Ullah, the man accused of setting off a bomb in a New York subway passage, last visited Bangladesh on September 8 and stayed for less than two months.

His mother-in-law Mahfuza Akhter said, "Akayed visited Rohingya camps then and distributed medicines for Rohingyas before he left for New York on October 22."

She recalled that during that trip to Cox's Bazar, Akayed did not book a hotel there for his stay.

In response to her query on this, she said, Akayed had told her, "I'll spend the money for Rohingyas instead of staying in a hotel."

She said Akayed travelled Cox's Bazar by bus and during bus journey at night he had video chat with his only son and wife.

But the young man looks to have put his family back at home under tremendous mental pressure making them worried about his six-month-old son.

"This innocent baby (Akayed's son) didn't see his father's face over the last two days. They used to see each other through video chat every day. I don't know whether he'll be able to see his father anymore," Mahfuza told UNB on Thursday.

Speaking at her Jigatola residence in Dhaka, she said Akayed chose the name - Obiad Ullah Ajjam - for his only son keeping some similarity with his own name.

"I want to see Ajjam grow up in normal surroundings like other kids do," Mahfuza said with tears rolling down her eyes.

Akayed's uncle Abdul Ahad, who was nearby, said they do not want to see people label Ajjam as 'son of a militant'.

Akayed's wife Jannatul Ferdous Jui was too shocked to see her dream of a happy family shattered and was crying all the time since Akayed got hurt and caught after the New York bomb explosion. She was not in a condition to talk to the press.

Meanwhile, Akayed's father-in-law Julfiqar Haider said Akayed was a very gentle, polite and honest young man. "I have no doubt about that. And we chose the best person for our only daughter."

He said Akayed used to offer Namaj in Shahi Mosque five times a day and Akayed's wife says her prayers too.

"You already know, police found his no criminal link in Bangladesh. Only Almighty knows what happened after he has gone to the USA," Julfiqar Haider said.

Akayed's brother-in-law Hasan Mahmud Joy said her only sister Jui did her graduation in Accounting from the Dhaka City College.

He said her sister might have downloaded an e-book of Jasimuddin (leader of the banned militant outfit Mufti Jasimuddin Rahmani).

"I don't think her husband asked her to read this. So far, I know she only read two pages of the book. If she had any ill motive, she could have deleted it not showing to police," said Joy, who had to leave his job on Wednesday as police asked him to remain prepared for anytime police interrogation.

Akayed reportedly gave a leaflet of militant leader Jasimuddin to his wife and asked her to read it in September last indicating that he was self-radicalised, said a top police official on Wednesday.

Chief of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Monirul Islam said Akayed might have been self-radicalised through internet after going to the USA as he had no criminal record in Bangladesh.

Monirul also said police didn't find Akayed's link in any militancy activities in Bangladesh.

Quoting Jui, the CTTC chief said she also discussed the content of the leaflet with her husband.

Monirul said Akayed followed Islami dress code, rules strictly and offered Namaz regularly during his last visit to Bangladesh.

During his stay at home, most of the time he remained busy with his laptop, Monirul said quoting Akayed's wife.

Earlier, police picked up Akayed's wife Jannatul Ferdous Jui, his father-in-law Zulfikar Haider, mother-in-law Mahfuza Akhter from the city's Jigatala area on Tuesday for interrogation.

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