Haunted family longs for end of ordeal

Almas Khatun,the octogenarian mother of businessman Jamaluddin, weeps to look at her abducted son's photograph. PHOTO: Star File Photo

This is how the son of businessman Jamaluddin Ahmed Chowdhury now reacts abandoning hopes to get back their beloved father, abducted two years ago.

If each and every single day is considered, the broken-down family has shown all the levels of endurance.

A once a happy family is now devastated in the absence of its chief. They have virtually lost their businesses in the last 25 months. The clearing and forwarding firm is gone. The restaurant, Jabal-e-Rahman, at the city's Chawk Bazar area, is closed since Jamaluddin was abducted on July 24, 2003. The steel and rod-cement business is no more. The family is even unable to draw the money from Jamaluddin's bank accounts in his absence.

Jamaluddin's wife Nazma Akhtar, sons Chowdhury Forman Reza Liton and Chowdhury Arman Reza, and close relatives had tried everything possible to get him back alive. They even paid Tk 25 lakh to police at the 'request' of the then Chitagong Metropolitan Police Commissioner Shahidullah Khan, who assured them of rescuing the businessman with the money from the custody of abductors. But he failed to keep his word.

Meanwhile, Liton and his family members met the Prime Minister and Home Minister and staged a token demonstration in front of the National Press Club in the capital.

All these efforts, however, went fruitless.

"What else can we do to get our father back?" questioned Liton.

The family members saw a glimmer of hope last week when the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) got involved in the sensational abduction case and netted prime suspect Shahidul Islam alias Shahid Chairman of Anwara upazila. The elite force also arrested another UP chairman Shahjahan.

Earlier, two key accused, Kala Mahbub, a close aide to another prime suspect Kashem Chairman, and Sobhan, the microbus driver, were arrested.

The family members met the Rab-7 top officials, talked with Shahid Chairman and three other suspects. The accused reportedly divulged stunning revelations to the family and Rab.

Liton said Shahid Chairman had mentioned the name of Maruf Nizam, brother of local lawmaker Sarwar Jamal Nizam, as the mastermind of his father's abduction.

Rab chief Lt Col Kazi Emdadul Haque also said that Shahid told the name of Maruf Nizam to them during the interrogation.

"Then where is the problem to arrest Maruf Nizam when the prime suspect is revealing his involvement," said Liton.

Col Emdad said they can not detain or quiz Maruf Nizam or any other person according to the initial confessions of Shahid in the abduction case. 'To do that it needs a legal basis. At least the confession has to be made under Section 164 for us to make such a move.'

'The family still keeps hope against hope about the fate of Jamaluddin.

"We found some real progress after Rab had started handling the matter," they said.