Khoka seeks PM's help in finding 9 missing people

BNP vice chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka yesterday sought prime minister's personal intervention in finding the whereabouts of nine people, including a ward-level BNP leader, who have been missing since December 4 last year.
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab)-1 picked up Sajedul Islam Suman, 35, and five others at a house in Bashundhara residential area around 8:15pm that day, family members alleged. Six hours later, the force allegedly picked up three more at Shaheenbagh, they added.
Khoka said the force might have got them disappeared at the instruction of ruling Awami league high-ups. Such disappearances and secret killings of opposition men is unacceptable, he told reporters while visiting Suman's residence at Shaheenbagh in the afternoon.
According to rights body Ain o Salish Kendra, 250 people were abducted by law enforcers between 2007 and 2013. Of them, 179 remained missing while only 20 were released, and 34 were found dead. The highest 68 people were picked up by law enforcers last year.
Talking to The Daily Star, Kismat Hayat, commanding officer of Rab-1, a few days ago denied the allegation and said some of the victims' family members informed them of the incident and that they were trying to rescue them.
Suman's mother Hazera Khatun said his son had been staying outside for a couple of months before his disappearance to avoid possible arrests.
Another victim Adnan Chowdhury's father Ruhul Amin Chowdhury and mother Kaniz Fathema came to Suman's residence with photographs of their son and made an emotional appeal for his return while talking to Khoka.