Identifying themselves as law enforcers, a group of plainclothes men abducted a small trader from near his home in the capital's Mirpur-2 on June 10.

Over the last two and a half months, the family members of the man, Mohan Miah, 38, tried everything possible to find him. They went to police, Rab and even paid an alleged source of the law enforcers Tk 2 lakh, all in vain.

The family members made the allegations at a press conference at the city's Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh (Crab) yesterday.

Reading out a written statement, Mohan's father Jamsher Ali demanded the immediate release of son, father of two.

He said he watched helplessly as seven to eight people picked up Mohan, 38. Asked, the men introduced themselves as members of Detective Branch (DB) of police and said Mohan was an accused in a case, he said.

Jamsher immediately went to Mirpur Police Station and then to the DB office on Minto Road, but the law enforcers said Mohan was not with them.

Later, Mohan's family members went to the office of Rab-4 in Mirpur. The Rab unit also denied picking him up.

Around a week later, a man called Jamsher over his mobile phone, introduced himself as one Hafizur Rahman and asked Jamsher to meet him near a dairy farm in Mirpur-2. As they met, Hafizur showed Jamsher a photo of Mohan on his cell phone.

Hafizur then claimed that he was a member of Rab-4 and told Jamsher that his son was with the force.

The next day, Hafizur came to Jamsher's house. There, Hafizur handed over a letter to Jamsher, claiming that it was written by Mohan for his wife. The letter says Mohan was under confinement and undergoing inhumane torture, Jamsher told yesterday's press conference.

Later, Hafizur asked Jamsher to contact Babu, an alleged source of Rab/police, who lives nearby. In the first week of July, Babu called Jamsher on his cell phone, claimed Mohan was with Rab-4 and demanded Tk 3 lakh for his release, Jamsher said.

Mohan's family agreed to pay Tk 2.5 lakh. On July 12, Jamsher along with some locals went to Babu's grocery shop in Mirpur-2 and gave him Tk 2 lakh, Jamsher claimed.

But Mohan did not return.

Jamsher said both Hafizur and Babu were not picking his call. As Jamsher went to Babu's shop, Babu denied that he took any money, he said.

Jamsher said he had a longstanding conflict with one Azizul Haque Shyamol over the land on which parts of Jamsher's house stands and that Shyamol may have a hand in this.

Contact, Shyamol, who lives in Mirpur-1, rejected the allegation.

Jamsher said his son used to help him run a small grocery shop near the house. He also said Mohan was facing a “false narcotics” case filed nearly four years ago. He, however, is now on bail.

The Daily Star tried to contact Hafizur and Babu repeatedly. Hafizur's number was found switched off while Babu did not receive the calls.

Jamsher also said they collected footage of CCTVs installed nearby the place from where Mohan was picked up. He distributed the footage to the journalists at the press conference.

The father also distributed among the journalists a call list that apparently shows Hafizur and Jamsher were in contact. Jamsher also showed journalists what he said was the registration form of Hafizur's SIM card. According to the form, Hafizur is a Rab member, he said.

Contacted, Mufti Mahmud Khan, Rab's legal and media wing director, said those who are detained by the force are handed over to police within the given timeframe.

He said the allegation against the force was baseless.

He also said in many cases they arrest criminals who impersonate as Rab and DB personnel.

A day after Mohan was picked up, his family members filed a general diary with Mirpur Police Station.

Contacted, Sub-inspector Khokan Miah of the police station said they were investigating the matter and that none of those involved in the incident could be identified.