No trace of missing Rajshahi youth

Family members of a missing youth in Rajshahi have demanded that the government trace his whereabouts immediately.

Abdullah Al Faruk, 23, who passed HSC this year, has been missing since a group of people identifying themselves as members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) picked him up in Horipur area of Paba upazila two and a half months ago, they alleged.

The allegation was made at a press conference at Paba Upazila Freedom Fighters Complex in the city's Kasiadanga area yesterday.

Faruk's sister Mahmuda Yasmin read out a written statement in the conference while his parents, relatives and some freedom fighters were present.

Faruk's father Jahir Uddin, also a freedom fighter, said his son was working as an electrician alongside his studies.

On July 18 evening, one Torikul Islam asked Faruk to visit his place and repair some electrical equipment, said Jahir.

As Torikul's place was far away, Faruk took his father's motorbike, and also his neighbour, Ibrahim, to give him company along the way.

Upon reaching the house, Faruk went inside the house while Ibrahim was waiting outside.  

After a while, a group of people appeared in front of Torikul's place in a white microbus, picked up Faruk from inside the house, and took him away driving the same microbus, alleged Jahir. 

When the locals tried to protest the incident, the people identified themselves as Rab personnel, added Jahir referring to the locals who witnessed the incident.    

"Since then, my son is missing," said a sobbing Jahir.  Contacted, Lt Col Mahbubur Rahman, director of Rab-5, said they have no knowledge of any such incident.   

Afterwards, Jahir filed a general diary with Paba Police Station on July 20 and a case with a Rajshahi court on August 1, accusing Torikul and five to six others.

Contacted, Hashmat Ali, officer-in-charge (OC) of Paba Police Station, said they started searching background of Torikul on the same day the GD was filed.  

Then they found out that "an arrest warrant was issued" against him in a "drug-related case", said the OC, adding that they had arrested Torikul the same day and produced him before a court.   

Meanwhile, after the case was filed on August 1, the Rajshahi court ordered police to investigate the incident.

Later, Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) was given the task of investigation.  

In this regard, Golam Rabbani, a sub-inspector of PBI and the investigation officer of the case, said he was given the role around 10 days after the case was filed.

Meanwhile, Torikul was already behind bars, he said. Through the court's permission, the PBI interrogated Torikul and "got some vital information", he claimed.

At yesterday's press conference, the family members said they had earlier formed human chains demanding the authorities concerned trace the whereabouts of Faruk, but to no avail.  

Paba upazila unit of Muktijoddha Sangsad, an association of freedom fighters, and locals joined the human chains, said the family members, threatening to launch a tougher movement if the law enforcers fail to find Faruk immediately.

According to rights body Ain o Salish Kendra, as many as 519 people have allegedly fallen victim to forced disappearances between 2010 and July 2017 in Bangladesh and an astonishing 329 of them are still missing. Many family members of such disappearance victims pointed fingers at law enforcement agencies.