Cops accused of not arresting 'abduction mastermind'

Asif Imran

Police are not arresting a Narayanganj councillor of ward 17 although he has been accused in a case of masterminding the abduction of a 19-year-old and is often going to his workplace, alleged the victim's father yesterday.

“If police arrests him, we will get my son back as he, of course, knows my son's whereabouts,” Lutfar Rahman told a press briefing in the capital's Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh.

After Asif Imran went missing on October 7 last year, Lutfar said to have received calls from unknown numbers demanding from Tk 10 lakh to Tk 20 lakh as ransom at different times.

In the case filed on November 1 last year, Lutfar accused four people -- Alamgir Islam, the councillor; Golam Mostafa Ador, Lutfar's neighbour in Uttara and Asif's friend; Ador's father Golam Mohammad Kalu and Ador's friend Shakil.

Ador had taken Asif, a first-year student of the American International University of Bangladesh, and Shakil to his Paikpara home in Narayanganj on October 7 last year, said the case statement.

Alamgir called up Ador around 4:00pm asking to come over at his Baburail office in Narayanganj, says a letter Ador submitted to the Narayanganj superintendent of police on October 21 seeking Asif's rescue.

When the trio entered the office, Alamgir and some men locked the room and started beating them and all except Asif managed to escape and he has been missing since then, adds the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Daily Star.

Ador and Shakil are under arrest while Ador's father and Alamgir's nephew Riazul Islam Pritom have been released on bail.

Police said three of the arrestees confessed and two witnesses provided statements confirming that Asif had been taken to Alamgir's office that day. Alamgir's cellphone was found switched off yesterday.

The case's investigation officer, Inspector Shah Alam, said Alamgir went into hiding and they could not make the arrest despite carrying out several drives.