No Parole for Funeral: AL Worker’s Father Brought to Jail Gate for Final Goodbye

In a heart-wrenching scene, imprisoned Awami League worker Milon Mia was forced to bid a final farewell to his father at the gates of Kishoreganj District Jail on Wednesday, after his plea for parole to attend the funeral was denied.

The final viewing took place on Wednesday afternoon (February 4) following specific directives from the District Magistrate's office.

Milon Mia (45), a resident of Panaullarchar in Bhairab upazila, has been in custody since December 2024. He was initially arrested in a case related to attacks during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. Although he recently secured bail in that case, his family members alleged he was immediately shown arrested in another case under the Special Powers Act. While he is a supporter of the Awami League, the family maintains he holds no formal position in the party.

According to family sources, Milon’s father, Phul Mia (70), passed away on Tuesday afternoon at a private hospital in Bhairab after a long battle with cancer. Desperate to let Milon participate in the funeral prayers (Janaza), the family applied for his temporary release on parole to the Deputy Commissioner, acting as the District Magistrate.

However, the administration rejected the parole request. Instead, they permitted the family to bring the coffin to the prison entrance so the son could see his father one last time.

"Milon collapsed in tears at the jail gate upon seeing his father’s body," said his uncle, Motiur Rahman. "We tried everything to get him out for a few hours, but the law didn't allow it. In the end, we had to bring the body to the prison gate."

Defense lawyer Abdul Momen Bhuiyan claimed that Milon is being held without specific evidence. "He was granted bail in one case, only to be entangled in another new case immediately after," he said.

Kishoreganj Jail Superintendent Ritesh Chakma confirmed the event, stating that the viewing was arranged at the prison gate strictly following the orders received from the District Magistrate's office.

This incident in Kishoreganj comes just two weeks after a similar occurrence in Bagerhat. On January 24, Jewel Hasan Saddam, president of the Bagerhat Sadar Upazila unit of the banned Chhatra League, was denied parole by executive order to attend the funeral of his wife and child. He was only allowed to view their faces at the gate of Jashore Central Jail. That incident sparked nationwide criticism, and Saddam was later granted bail by the High Court.