Same group kidnapped Ilias Ali

The BNP has claimed that the same persons, who abducted environment lawyer Syeda Rizwana Hasan's husband Abu Bakar Siddique, had been behind the disappearance of M Ilias Ali as well.
BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi made the claim at a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan central office in the capital yesterday.
However, the BNP spokesperson failed to substantiate his claim when reporters asked him what made him think so.
Ilias, former lawmaker and organising secretary of the BNP, and his driver Ansar Ali were kidnapped from Banani in the capital on April 17, 2012 and remain missing since then.
Armed kidnappers picked up Siddique on Wednesday afternoon from Delpara area in Fatullah of Narayanganj and freed him around 33 hours later on Thursday night.
"The two incidents were of the same nature. Both the incidents had a common objective -- to deprive citizens of their rights," Rizvi said.
Ilias Ali was kidnapped as a warning to the BNP so that it refrains from anti-government movement and Siddique's abduction was aimed at keeping people from free thinking, he observed.
He went on to say that the Sheikh Hasina-led government would never disclose the names of Siddique's kidnappers because it would be disgraceful for them to reveal the facts.
Pointing to the recent capture of an ISI agent by Indian intelligence agency the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in Dhaka, Rizvi said the RAW disregarded Bangladesh's law by "abducting" a Pakistani agent from Bangladesh and taking him to India.
Referring to BNP's long march to Teesta Barrage on March 22, Rizvi said people would give a strong reply to the government if it obstructs the peaceful programme.