Wife seeks PM's intervention in rescue efforts

The wife of a Bangladesh Chhatra League leader of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology who was allegedly abducted in the early hours of December 10 sought the prime minister's intervention yesterday in rescue efforts.

Moreover, Saifuzzaman Sohag's father filed a case with Rajpara Police Station on Sunday night detailing the incident and informing of receiving two phone calls on Saturday, including one demanding ransom, said Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mahabubur Rahman.

The information and research affairs secretary is also a final year student of mechanical engineering. Local officials of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab)-5 and police stated that they had not arrested him.

Farzana Rahman, a medical student, sought the intervention from a human chain organised by Rajshahi District Zila Stadium Market Babsayi Samity on the road in front of Rajshahi District Sports Association in Rajshahi city in the noon.

Talking to journalists, she said to have sought the intervention as Saifuzzaman was picked up by persons impersonating members of Rab and Detective Branch of police.

In the case, Md Akkas-uz Zaman said seven people wearing jackets, five with "RAB" and two with "DB" written on their backs, had burst into their house in Rajshahi city without showing identity cards.

They went to Saifuzzaman's room on the third floor, had a look into his laptop and questioned Zaman about a female classmate of Saifuzzaman named Nabila, says the case statement as per the OC.

Without showing an arrest warrant, they took him away along with the laptop, a camera and a memory card worth around Tk 1.50 lakh and 14 bhoris (1 bhori equals to 11.66 grammes) of gold ornaments worth Tk 5.60 lakh, it adds.

The ransom caller demanded Tk 1 lakh for his release while the other caller, claiming to be a journalist, informed that Saifuzzaman had been admitted to a Barisal hospital, says the statement.