Saima’s parents want swift, exemplary punishment of killer

Sanzadi Akhter was still grieving over brutal death of her youngest daughter Samia Afrin Saima, 7, holding the framed photograph of her beloved children.

“Saima always used to play around me as she was fond of me the most. Used to come to me now and then and asked me to pamper her. She used to run to me and hold me in her little arms after coming from outside. Now she is no more. I am just looking for my daughter, she is not running towards me, she is nowhere to be found,” Sanzida said these while breaking into tears.

Sanzida – Abdus Salam’s Wari, Banagram flat is still seeing huge number of mourners everyday, many people, who never even seen Saima in person or have no connection whatsoever with the family.

“Why he tortured my daughter, my tiny tot this way! Why he killed my doll? What was her crime? I want Prime Minister to ensure swift and exemplary punishment for this monster. No parents shall lose their children this way,” grieving Sanzida added.

Saima, nursery-grade student of Silverdale School went missing after going out to play on Friday afternoon. Her body was found on the 8th floor of their under construction building at 8pm, with a rope still wrapped around her neck.

Police yesterday managed to arrest the killer Harun-or-Rashid, relative of one of Saima’s neighbour from Cumilla, and said the youth already confessed raping and killing the little girl.

“My daughter was like a doll, she used to get along well with everyone. All were very fond of Saima for her friendly attitude. This beast raped her, he killed her. I want nothing but maximum punishment for him. I am pleading to the Prime Minister to ensure his death penalty in quickest possible time,” Saima’s father said.

Yusuf Hossain lives in the same area and used to see the little girl from her way to school.

“She was so lively, a beautiful little girl. How can someone do such heinous thing with her! I just want the killer to be put on gallows, so that none can dare to repeat such barbaric crime in future,” Yusuf said.

Saima’s neighbour Jamal Uddin too rushed to this reporter only to share his anger over the death.

“Please write and tell authorities to ensure exemplary punishment to this man,” he said.

Killer Harun in his confession said he lured the little girl to that vacant flat by telling her to show the rooftop. He raped her there and strangled her to death. He dragged her lifeless body to kitchen by wrapping a rope around her neck and threw the body under the sink.

While briefing media about the arrest of the killer, detective branch (DB) additional commissioner Abdul Baten on Sunday said the crime tantamount to crimes against humanity.

“Such criminal thinks they cannot get away with committing the crime and kill their victims. Harun too has done the same,” Baten said.

A Dhaka court on June 6 set July 24 to submit probe report in the case filed over rape and subsequently murder of Samia Afrin Saima in capital’s Wari area on Friday.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Atiqur Rahman passed the order, accepting the ejahar filed in the case.

Saima’s father Abdus Salam filed the case under Women and Children Repression Prevention Act with Wari Police Station.