Mujibur's driver missing again

Hours into his release by abductors, Rezaul Haque, the driver of expatriate BNP leader Mujibur Rahman, went missing again.

Rezaul along with Mujibur, an expatriate in the UK, were kidnapped in Sunamganj on May 4. They were freed on Monday morning in Tongi, Gazipur.

Walking free after over three months, the two reached Mujibur's residence in the capital's Gulshan around 10:00am. The BNP leader then asked the driver to go to his ancestral home in Sunamganj, Mujibur's brother-in-law Anwar Hossain told The Daily Star.

Both Sunamganj police and family members of Rezaul said he did not return home as of yesterday evening.

A police team has been waiting in front of Rezaul's home in Sunamganj since Monday evening, the driver's father Abdul Wahed told our Sylhet correspondent.

Harun-ur-Rashid, superintendent of police (SP) in Sunamganj, said they were looking for the 30-year-old driver as he could have vital information to help their investigation.

Now a member of the advisory committee of Sunamganj BNP, Mujibur, 56, is also a former vice-president of the party's UK chapter.

During their captivity, the two had been held hostage separately. Mujibur could only see his driver when they were freed, said Anwar, quoting the BNP leader as saying.

Mujibur has been undergoing treatment at the capital's United Hospital and is supposed to return home today.

A physician at the hospital said the patient was suffering from haemoglobin and iron deficiencies.

Meanwhile, two British High Commission officials yesterday visited Mujibur at the hospital, according to family sources.

“We can confirm we are providing British national Mr Mujibur Rahman with consular assistance,” a British High Commission spokesperson told this newspaper.

The abductors had blindfolded Mujibur and Rezaul and made them wear burqas before dropping the two off in Tongi, said Anwar.

Proficient in both Bangla and English, the kidnappers enquired of Mujibur about BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman and any probable link of Mujibur with Tarique. They also grilled Mujibur about BNP politics in the UK.

The abductees were brought down from the first floor of a building on Monday before being released in Tongi.

Family members of Mujibur had lodged a general diary with Sunamganj police in this connection.