Bashar of Belgharia village at Raninagar upazila in Naogaon believes the two youths are Sushanta and Sufal of Chamta village of the same upazila.

The 20th May in 2004 was really a dreadful day for Bashar. He was abducted along with Abdul Quayyum Badsha and Idris Ali Khejur by militants of Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) the previous day.

"At around 5:00am I almost fainted after overnight torture when I saw the body of Badsha being dragged into a microbus," he continued his harrowing tale.

Bashar was forced into the vehicle, which sped through Atrai, Raninagar and Nandigram. The JMJB militants on the way picked up the Hindu youths from Jagdash camp in Atrai and began to beat up them with iron rods and hockey sticks.

The militants stopped at Bamongram in Nandigram around 11:00am and hanged Badsha's body upside down in a tree. Then they drove through Kaliganj to Raninagar.

Bangla Bhai's men were showing a machete to the two youths and threatening to kill them in no time.

Bashar suspects the youths were slaughtered and buried somewhere along the road along the Atrai river.

He himself was beaten up as an outlaw at Shimba Bazar and at Bashbaria JMJB camp at Khabir Sheikh's house. He was then taken to Bhiti camp and tortured overnight.

He recollected that he saw JMB chief Abdur Rahman, his brother Ataur Rahman Sunny and his son-in-law Abdul Awal, Habibur Rahman Hobi and Mantu Daktar at the camps.

Parents of Sushanta and Sufal at Chamta village in Raninagar still wait for their sons. They have already heard what Bashar suspects but never believed it.

Sudhir Chandra Sarkar, Sushanta's father, said JMJB leaders Ismail Member, Delwar and Abbas Daktar abducted the two from their houses on May 11.

"The next day I went to Jagdash camp with a plea for my son's life. Abul Hossain Master of the camp assured me that Sushanta would be released the following day. I am still waiting for his return," Sudhir said in a chocked voice.

"I've heard Bangla Bhai has been arrested. If dead, please find my son's body after quizzing him where he was dumped. I will live for the bones of my son," cried out Shufal's mother Anjali Rani.

The villagers said they had never heard the youths were outlaws. But they used to lead the landless people of the locality and once quarrelled with a landlord over his capture of government land and ponds a few weeks before Bangla Bhai appeared, they added.