Complainant goes out of trace

A local Awami League leader, who filed two cases against BNP leader M Ilias Ali, has remained out of trace for the last two days. Ilias went missing on April 18.
Bashrat Ali, labour affairs secretary of Biswanath upazila AL unit, filed the cases with the local police station on April 18, accusing him of bombing and vandalising his now-defunct business in 2001.
Interestingly, filling of these cases after 11 years of the incidents coincided with Ilias going missing along with his driver in Dhaka.
Basharat's son Shah Alam Khokon told journalists that his father was taking treatment at Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital.
However, Basharat was not found at the hospital yesterday, and his mobile phone was switched off.
On Thursday, Basharat told The Daily Star over the phone that he had filed the complaints with police long ago, but those were recorded as cases 11 years later.
Asked, Basharat denied any pressure from the ruling Awami League men to file the cases.
Sylhet Superintendent of Police Shakhawat Hossain confirmed recording of the cases -- one for vandalism and the other under the explosive substances act. But he could not say why the cases were recorded so late.
Denying Basharat's claim of lodging the complaints long ago, Abul Kalam Azad, officer-in-charge of Biswanath Police Station, said the complaints were lodged and also recorded as cases on the same day.