Bank manager risked his life to save nation's wealth: Rab
Rab denies transaction of money in securing abducted banker's release, officially hands him over to his family
Nezam Uddin, the manager of Sonali Bank in Ruma upazila, who was abducted by Kuki-Chin terrorists, risked his life to prevent looting of the bank's vault, said Rab.
Khandaker Al Moin, director of RAB's legal and media department, said this today after Nezam was officially handed over to his family members.
On April 2 night, a group of armed men broke into the Ruma upazila parishad office and snatched the firearms of security personnel before robbing the Sonali Bank and abducting Nezam.
Nezam Uddin was freed in Ruma town yesterday evening after what Rab said were two days of negotiations.
During a press meet in Bandarban, the Rab official said Nezam was freed unharmed due to "various pressures applied to the terrorists" by the law enforcers. He said several Rab teams started working on rescuing the bank official after the April 2 incident.
In a press release sent to the media, Rab said the rescued bank manager provided important information about the attack by the militants and what happened to him after the attack.
According to Rab, after being caught by the militants, Nezam identified himself as an agriculture department official to save the bank vault from being looted. However, the armed militants who were dressed in some kind of military uniform, took the bank official and three others hostage.
At one stage, they asked the bank manager for the key of the bank's vault. After Nezam refused, they tried to break the vault but failed, said the Rab press release.
Later, the bank manager was blindfolded and taken out of the bank to a remote area. According to Rab, the militants constantly changed their locations before the release of the bank manager.
Yesterday, the militants contacted the family members of the bank official and strictly warned them against seeking administrative help.
However, Rab could identify their location and applied pressure on the militants successfully to release Nezam.
Asked, Khandaker Al Moin said that RAB and joint forces rescued Nezam unharmed and completely healthy without any transaction of money.
However, multiple police sources told The Daily Star yesterday that Nezam was released an hour after his family gave the abductors Tk 15 lakh.
The sources said the family paid the money after being assured that Nezam would be returned in sound health.
RAB Additional Director General (Operation) Mahbub handed over Nezam Uddin to his family around noon today.
Khandaker Al Moin said the combined drive of security forces is continuing to recover arms and ammunition.
The operation will continue until arms and ammunition are recovered, he said at the press conference.