Afghan police begin drive to free Bangladeshi hostages

Police forces in northern Afghanistan have launched massive drive to rescue and confirm safe release of the five Bangladeshis who were abducted by local criminals and taken hostage on Friday night.
The foreign ministry officials said Afghan authorities have also taken necessary steps to send back the body of Bangladeshi engineer Kazi Altaf Hossain, who was killed by Afghan miscreants, within next week.
Engineer Altaf was killed and seven workers held hostage on December 17 when Afghan gunmen stormed a remote road-building camp run by a South Korean construction firm at Mazar-I-Sharif.
However, two of the workers were freed on Sunday.
The foreign ministry officials said Afghanistan government assured Bangladesh that they would extend full cooperation with regard to the release of the five Bangladeshi citizens and expedite the process to send the body of the deceased engineer.
The officials said Bangladesh Ambassador in Tashkent, Mohammad Imran Alam, is in touch with the Afghan authorities and has taken necessary initiatives to free the hostages.
They said Bangladesh government was informed that Afghan police have surrounded the area in Mazar-I-Sharif where they think the five Bangladeshi hostages are kept and are trying to free them.
They continue search in several areas like Chahar Bolak, Sholgara and Kishindih districts.