Desk Report,
Forest officer accused of marrying 17 women in Barisal, discussion everywhere
Barisal Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Md. Kabir Hossain Patwari has been accused of luring 17 women to marry him. The matter came to light last Thursday when several women in the city’s Kashipur area demanded the officer’s trial on charges of fraud. There is widespread discussion about this in various quarters of Barisal.
Forest officer accused of marrying 17 women in Barisal, discussion everywhere
The women who claimed to be wives allege that Kabir Hossain had previously worked in various districts of the country, including Dhaka, Khulna, Sirajganj, and Bagerhat. He has married at least 17 women by luring them with opportunities to study abroad, government jobs, or as an air hostess. It is alleged that he married those women while keeping his previous marriages a secret. Although the accused forest officer Kabir Hossain Patwari’s mobile number was called several times in this regard, his statement could not be obtained as it was switched off. However, his lawyer Enayet Hossain claimed that these allegations were baseless and said that the allegations of the women were not true. The matter is personal. After complaining to the ministry about this, an investigation is underway. He does not want to comment on the matter during the investigation.
A source from the Forest Department said that Kabir Hossain was working in Khulna before joining Barisal as a DFO on October 31, 2024. On Thursday, a few women gathered in front of the Divisional Forest Conservator’s office in the Kashipur area of the city and demanded justice. At that time, banners demanding justice were seen in the hands of the women who claimed to be their wives and their relatives. Several women who were victims of fraud, including Naznin Akhter from Dhaka, Sonia Akhter from Narayanganj, Nasrin Akhter from Khulna, were present at the program.
Some of the victims said that Kabir Hossain is a resident of Matlab Upazila of Chandpur. He had previously resorted to these frauds in the name of marriage while working in various districts including Dhaka, Khulna, Sirajganj, and Bagerhat. Within a short period of marriage, some of their families broke up due to dowry demands and physical abuse.
The source said that Kabir Hossain last married Khadija Akhter, a Khulna employee, on February 14 this year. On the second day of the wedding, Khadija was thrown out of the official residence of the forest officer in Barisal when he refused to register the land in her father’s house.
Khadija Akhter alleged, “Kabir Hossain got me married by tricking me. Later, he tortured me and threw me out because I did not register the property found in my father’s house.”
Another woman named Nasrin Akhter alleged, “He also got me married by tricking me. After the marriage drama was caught, I was beaten and thrown out.” She alleged that he had married 17 times using his position as a divisional forest officer. He cheated women in the same way in the places where he worked. Now they are living inhuman lives.
The victim women said that they did not get any redress despite filing complaints in the court and the Ministry of Forest and Environment about the cheating incident. Although he was arrested once on charges of official cheating, he was quickly released on bail with the help of influential circles. They demanded that Kabir Hossain be removed from the forest department and given exemplary punishment.
Barisal Deputy Commissioner Md. Delwar Hossain said, “I am not aware of the forest officer cheating through multiple marriages. If the victims file a written complaint, necessary action will be taken after investigation.” Rafiqul Alam, General Secretary of Barisal City, Citizens for Good Governance (SUJON), told Prothom Alo that such allegations against a high-ranking forest officer are a serious violation of the law. It has severely questioned his ethics. Of course, the allegations against him should be properly investigated and departmental and legal action should be taken.
