After spending 12 years in Kashimpur High Security Central Jail despite a High Court acquittal, Shukur Ali, a man from Bikrampur of Munshiganj, finally walked free on Monday.
His release came only after chief justice Syed Refaat Ahmed intervened, prompted by a news report highlighting his prolonged and unjust detention.
Shukur Ali, 50, with a long white beard and hair wearing a worn white t-shirt, emerged from the jail at 2:05pm.
His face bore the marks of despair, yet a glimmer of relief surfaced as he was going to reunite with his daughters, Shimu and Shikha, now adults but once young girls left without their father.
鈥業 had no idea about Shukur鈥檚 acquittal until recently,鈥� said Abdullah Al Mamun, the jail鈥檚 senior superintendent.
Shukur Ali also told the jail superintendent that he also remained unaware about the update of his case as he could not afford a lawyer.听听听听听听
Shukur鈥檚 case, unknown even to those tasked with overseeing his detention, underscored a chilling oversight in the justice system.
Chief justice Syed Refaat Ahmed鈥檚 attention was drawn to Shukur鈥檚 plight through a 抖阴精品 report on November 5.
Shocked by the oversight, the chief justice assigned an investigation to High Court Division鈥檚 assistant registrar MA Sayeed Shuvo.
This inquiry quickly unraveled the grim reality that Shukur Ali had been unjustly confined due to administrative delays in receiving the necessary court documents.
Shukur鈥檚 tragic story began in 2006, when he surrendered to authorities after being sentenced to death for the murder of his wife and young son in a 2001 arson attack, which his two minor daughters narrowly survived.
Though acquitted by the High Court in 2012, his release was delayed for years due to a clerical lapse 鈥� the absence of a copy of the acquittal order.
In December 2023, Shukur reached out to lawyer Hasan Mohammad Abdul Fattah from jail, recounting his plight with a voice choked with despair.
Fattah took up his cause, filing a legal notice on October 30, 2024, which finally alerted authorities to Shukur鈥檚 situation.
On November 10, 2024, two days after the chief justice鈥檚 intervention, Munshiganj鈥檚 First Additional District and Sessions Judge鈥檚 Court issued the warrant for his release.
Upon learning their father鈥檚 impending freedom, Shukur鈥檚 daughters Shimu and Shikha, were eagerly awaiting to receive him.
鈥榃hen he was sentenced, we were just children, with no one to look after us,鈥� said Shimu. Though free at last, Shukur鈥檚 ordeal has left scars on his family.
Right lawyer Sara Hossain called for chief justice鈥檚 immediate instructions to his colleague judges to expedite the cases of other convicts awaiting appeals, recognising that Shukur Ali鈥檚 case is not an isolated instance.
She said that Shukur Ali鈥檚 heartbreaking story is a somber reminder of the consequences when justice is delayed.
She also called for a reform, emphasising the need for an efficient, compassionate justice system that prioritises human dignity over bureaucratic oversight.
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