A real-life incident mirroring the Bengali film Aynabaji, a thriller about a professional imposter drawn into a dangerous web of deceit, has unfolded in Gazipur, a city in central Bangladesh, where a young man was jailed in place of the actual accused in a forest department case.
Prison officials said at least three similar incidents have surfaced in the last month.
Although a court ordered the imprisonment of Md Sattar Mia, 45, he remains free while Saiful Islam, 30, took his place for about $136.
Jail authorities said biometric checks later confirmed the inmate was Saiful.
“We thought he was at his garment factory job. Later we learned he was in jail. He made a mistake, and we regret it,” said Rahim Badsha, the alleged imposter’s father, to a local newspaper. A district official said failures in national identification verification were concerning. An inquiry begins 10 December.
A similar case occurred in Chattogram in January.