GB official harassed, threatened

A Grameen Bank official was allegedly abducted by a group of unidentified people yesterday evening and released four hours later.
The victim, Sagirur Rashid Chowdhury, an account officer of the bank, said he was abducted around 7:30pm while going to Mirpur-1 from the bank's headquarters by a rickshaw.
The news of his abduction came a day after the Grameen Bank Employees' Association at a press conference warned the government of launching tough movement protesting the Nobel laureate's removal from the post of the bank's managing director.
Sagir is a former president of the association.
Initially, the abductors had introduced themselves as police officials, he said, adding they had been in two microbuses and on five to seven motorbikes.
He told The Daily Star last night over the phone that “Suddenly, one microbus intercepted my rickshaw and asked me whether I am Sagir. Fearing, I told them that I am not Sagir, but they did not listen and dragged me into the microbus.”
“They punched me violently, and showed sharp weapons. They took me to the Dhaka University area and confined me to a room where they beat me mercilessly.”
Sagir said, “The abductors told me that 'you have to give statement against Professor Yunus'. They also asked me what type of agitation programme the Grameen Bank employees are planning.”
“They threatened me with life…. and also wanted to know whom I wanted to talk for the last time before they kill me,” he said. The unidentified abductors were all aged between 25 and 30.
“I begged that I would not make any statement on behalf of Grameen Bank, if they release me.
“The abductors told me that they would release me only if I pay them Tk 3 lakh on Saturday at Bijay Sarani.”
“I agreed. Then they blindfolded me and left me in front of Dhaka University around 11:00pm,” said Sagir, who has been working with Grameen for the last 15 years.
Afterwards, he took treatment at a clinic in Mirpur 10.
Kazi Wazed Ali, officer-in-charge of Mirpur Police Station, told The Daily Star that “We have received a complaint. We will now investigate the matter.”
Sagir could not name any of the abductors in the complaint, said the police official.