‘I was in a frightening situation’

Bangladeshi UN official Lt Col (retired) AKM Sufiul Anam, who was taken hostage by Al-Qaeda in Yemen, returned home yesterday after 18 long months in captivity.

An Emirates flight carrying Sufiul landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital at 5:20pm from Dubai. At the airport, a senior official of the National Security Intelligence (NSI) briefed reporters about his release.

Speaking to journalists at the second terminal, Sufiul said he, along with four other colleagues, was relocated 18 times to various places during his captivity, but he was not tortured by his captors.

"They would record videos of me, where I was made to plead for my life. I was not sure who they sent the footages to."

The first such video appeared on Site Intelligence's website, which keeps track of extremist groups' activities, on June 15 last year, while a second one surfaced on September 7 of the same year.

Sufiul, field security coordination officer (Head) of the United Nations' Department of Safety and Security, was kidnapped in Southern Yemen in February last year.

He retired as Lieutenant Colonel from the Bangladesh Army in 2005, and had been working with the UN since.

Sufiul was abducted while returning from a professional mission and remained in Al-Qaeda custody for one and a half years.

"I found myself in an incredibly fearful situation that words cannot adequately describe – a situation resembling scenes from movies. I was confined within hills and deserts, deprived of the sight of the sky and open air for months."

He credited the NSI for rescuing him along with his four colleagues

"I think they targeted me to realise their demands since I am a UN official," he said, adding, "I was kidnapped by a notorious terrorist group, and I am unable to disclose everything in detail for security purposes."

Asked whether he would continue his job despite the risks, he said, "As a member of the armed forces, it is my duty to take such challenges, and I will not back away from that."

Imrul Mabud, director of NSI, claimed no ransom was paid in exchange for the release. However, the captors had demanded $3 million in this regard.

"With help from friendly nations, his release was secured."

He, however, did not elaborate on the process of the release citing security grounds.

The official expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose instructions, he said, played a pivotal role in getting Sufiul released.