Even though a police investigation found out that Mohammad Alam is not the real accused in a human trafficking case, he is still serving jail term for the offence apparently committed by his brother.

Family members of Mohammad Alam fear that it would take a long time for him to be released, as the High Court (HC) is yet to get the case disposed of.

The family members of Mohammad Alam alleged that police deliberately grilled and sent Mohammad Alam to jail knowing he was not the real accused. They added that police did so to extort money from him as he just returned from abroad.

Arrested on charge of trafficking women at Chuadanga on May 13, 2002, Mohammad /Mam's brother Sayed Alam identified himself as Mohammad Alam, a resident of Ukhia in Cox's Bazar.

A case was filed with Jibannagar Police Station in Chuadanga following Sayed Alam's statement. Staying several days in custody, Sayed Alam obtained bail from Woman and Children Tribunal-2 in Chuadanga on May 19,2003 and allegedly went to Pakistan.

Sayed /Mam never returned afterwards but the court sentenced Mohammad Alam to life imprison-menton May 15,2006.

Mohammad Alam has been working in Saudi Arabia since 1991 and returned to Bangladesh on January 24, 2007 when police arrested him and sent him to jail. He is still in jail while a petition, filed by his family members in April, for quashing the case awaits hearing at theHC.

"My uncle Mohammad Alam has been living in Saudi Arabia for a long time. Neither he nor we knew that something like this had happened," said Russell, nephew of Mohammad Alam.

"My other uncle Sayed Alam along with his family has been living in Pakistan for 15 to 16 years. He visited Bangladesh often and we heard that each time he returned to Pakistan he took one or two girls with him," he added.

"We the family members and the locals have been suspecting for a long time that Sayed Alam is involved in trafficking woman," Russell said. "We do not know when hearing on the petition will begin," headded.

immigration approval and seals on the passport of Mohammad Alam show that he was abroad when the incident took place in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Assistant •Superintendent of Police (ASP) Faruk ul Haque in an investigation report submitted to the Superintendent of Police of Cox's Bazar said his probe found that now jailed Mohammad Alam is not die real accused in the case.

BarristerTanim Hussain Shawn, lawyer appointed by Mohammad Alam's family, said "We will submit the investigation report in a supplementary affidavit after the Eid-ui-Azha vacation. The case now awaits hearing in the High Court and when it hears the petition the innocent and ill-fated Mohammad Alam is expected to Mn^Ai