Police have found Syed Iftekhar Alam Shourav, a nephew of former State Minister for Home Affairs Sohel Taj, in Mymensingh, 11 days after he went missing from Chattogram. Quoting officials of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit, media reported that an unidentified car dropped Shourav in front of a rice mill in Tarakanda Upazila in Mymensingh at 5:15 am Thursday. SP of Myemensingh, however, couldn’t provide any information who were behind the alleged abduction or Shourav’s whereabouts over the last 11 days. The 26-year-old youth had been living with his parents in the port city’s Panchlaish area. He graduated from Dhaka’s Independent University before joining a school in Chattogram as a teacher. His family alleged that Shourav was abducted by plainclothesmen over his relationship with a businessman’s daughter.
Earlier on Jun 17, former Gazipur-4 MP Sohel Taj held a press briefing along with Shourav’s parents at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity to call for his safe return. They said Shourav had received a phone call on the afternoon of Jun 8. He was told to ready his credentials for a job. Next day, he was asked to wait in front of Agora in Chattogram’s Mimi Super Market. He left with the necessary documents and his passport at 7:00 pm but never came back while his mobile phone was also switched off. To rescue his nephew, Sohel Taj had initiated a personal inquiry and went on Facebook Live to inform the update to the people. He also sought Prime Minister’s intervention to ensure safe return of Shourav.
It’s a very rare incident where abducted person has returned apparently without any harm. This unusual incident has been occurred due to pressure from media and high-profile personality, like Sohel Taj. But there are so many incidents of abductions where the victims never returned. In most cases we see, the police department either deny or avoid cases of these abduction or forced disappearance. There are several dozens of cases where police failed to rescue the victims even years after they went missing. The most tragic part of these incidents is that the abductees’ whereabouts remain unknown.
We must say it is duty of the government worth its name to ensure safety of every individual whatever be the character of the government. It is a government-less situation where anybody can abduct anybody or anybody can lift anybody for disappearance.
Earlier on Jun 17, former Gazipur-4 MP Sohel Taj held a press briefing along with Shourav’s parents at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity to call for his safe return. They said Shourav had received a phone call on the afternoon of Jun 8. He was told to ready his credentials for a job. Next day, he was asked to wait in front of Agora in Chattogram’s Mimi Super Market. He left with the necessary documents and his passport at 7:00 pm but never came back while his mobile phone was also switched off. To rescue his nephew, Sohel Taj had initiated a personal inquiry and went on Facebook Live to inform the update to the people. He also sought Prime Minister’s intervention to ensure safe return of Shourav.
It’s a very rare incident where abducted person has returned apparently without any harm. This unusual incident has been occurred due to pressure from media and high-profile personality, like Sohel Taj. But there are so many incidents of abductions where the victims never returned. In most cases we see, the police department either deny or avoid cases of these abduction or forced disappearance. There are several dozens of cases where police failed to rescue the victims even years after they went missing. The most tragic part of these incidents is that the abductees’ whereabouts remain unknown.
We must say it is duty of the government worth its name to ensure safety of every individual whatever be the character of the government. It is a government-less situation where anybody can abduct anybody or anybody can lift anybody for disappearance.
