BCL leader Jewel Hasan Saddam bid a tearful final farewell to his wife and nine-month-old child while in custody at Jashore Central Jail yesterday.

The bodies of his wife, Kaniz Subarna Swarnali, 22, and their infant son were brought from Bagerhat to the jail in the evening, where Saddam was allowed to see them for the last time amid a deeply emotional atmosphere.

Relatives said Swarnali and the couple’s nine-month-old child were found dead at their home on Friday. According to the family, Swarnali allegedly killed the infant and later took her own life.

Family members said that when the bodies were taken inside the jail, Saddam was allowed to see his wife and child one last time. He touched his wife and held his child in his arms for the first and last time. The moment left those present overwhelmed with grief.

The incident occurred on January 23 at their home in the Sabekdanga area of Bagerhat Sadar upazila. Saddam is currently incarcerated at Jashore Central Jail in connection with multiple cases.

Relatives said Swarnali deeply loved her husband. As Saddam had been in jail for a long time, she had become mentally distressed. Despite repeated efforts to secure his release, no progress was made, leaving her increasingly frustrated and hopeless, they claimed.

Overwhelmed by despair, Swarnali allegedly killed the child and later died by suicide, family members said.

According to family sources, Saddam’s mother, sister, wife and child had been living together at his home. While in jail, Saddam would occasionally send notes to his wife, assuring her that he would be released soon. These messages, they said, added to Swarnali’s mental pressure.

Jashore Central Jail Superintendent Abid Ahmed said Saddam was transferred to the jail on December 15 and has been there since. “Following all procedures, the bodies were brought to the jail in the evening. After he was allowed to see them, Saddam was sent back to his ward,” he said.

Police recovered the bodies from their house in Sabekdanga village, said Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Masum Khan of Bagerhat Sadar Police Station. According to police, Swarnali’s body was found hanging inside the house, while the child’s body was recovered from the floor. Both were sent to Bagerhat 250-bed District Hospital for post-mortem examinations and later handed over to the family.