‘Abducted’ ex-Rab man returns after 18 months

Former Rab commanding officer Lt Col (sacked) Hasinur Rahman returned home in the capital's Mirpur DOHS around midnight on Friday, nearly 18 months after being picked up by some plainclothes men.

Speaking to The Daily Star over phone yesterday, Hasinur's wife Shamima Akhter said, "We took him to our flat after the security guard of our building informed us about his return home."

She said Hasinur could not say anything about his whereabouts during the months he was missing. "We are not asking him any question which might leave him mentally upset."

Expressing relief over her husband's return, Shamima said he was on medication for high blood pressure. "We will take him to a doctor today [yesterday]."

According to family members, Hasinur was allegedly picked up by about 15 plainclothes men around 10:30pm on August 8, 2018, when he was on his way home after meeting his friends.

Hasinur cried for help when the plainclothes men tried to force him into a microbus, Shamima said quoting locals.

As some locals approached towards him, the men, wearing jackets with "DB" inscribed on those, told them that they were from the Detective Branch of police, she added.

Earlier, Shamima had told journalists at several press conferences that the plainclothes men came in two microbuses. They also picked up the caretaker of Hasinur's home as he tried to capture photos. However, he was later dropped near ECB intersection.

Both the Rab and police denied picking up Hasinur.

On August 9, 2018, Shamima filed a general diary with Pallabi Police Station in connection with the incident.

Sub-Inspector Monirul Islam of Pallabi Police Station, who is probing the GD, said the family informed him that Hasinur returned home.

Hasinur also worked for Border Guard Bangladesh. He was sacked from the army over his alleged links to militancy.

Shamima, however, claimed that her husband had been an honest and patriotic officer and he became a victim of a conspiracy.