Staff Reporter BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia on Thursday expressed concern over the denial of the law enforcers that ‘they did not pick up’ her party’s joint secretary general and former state minister Salahuddin Ahmed. In a statement signed by her press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan Sohel, Khaleda Zia said the government cannot avert its responsibility about Salahuddin. “I pray for him. I demand his safe return to the family members,” she said. The BNP chairperson is going to hold a press conference today (Friday) at her Gulshan office in the afternoon. Alongside the issue of Salahuddin, she will also focus on the country’s latest situation and her party’s stance. She will justify the reasons behind the prolonged blockade of the 20-party alliance, sources said. Khaleda Zia also claimed that the plainclothes law enforcers picked up Salauddin Ahmed, the current spokesperson of her party, from a residence at Uttara in the city. “The high-ups of the ruling party were seriously annoyed with Salahuddin as he has been performing the duty of party’s spokesperson following the arrest of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed. For this reason, they picked hp him with an ill motive. “As per the law, the police have to produce him before the court in 24 hours. But they are denying the arrest,” she said. Referring to the recent extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances, she alleged that the present government has become desperate in a bid to cling to power in exchange of the blood of the people. If it (government) desires, the law enforcers pick up anyone. Later, their bodies are found here and there. In some cases, bodies are also not found, she alleged. She said the denial of law enforcers after arresting the leaders and workers of the 20-party alliance rises following the forced disappearances of BNP leaders Ilias Ali and Chowdhury Alam. “In this situation, we are concerned about Salahuddin,” she said. Meanwhile, State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Thursday said they are not still clear whether Salahuddin is missing or picked up by anyone. “We don’t know where he has gone or staying. We are looking into it and it will take time,” he told reporters after attending a function at Mirpur Police Staff College.Echoing the same, Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque said that they did not arrest the BNP leader. “As per the law, the police have to produce any person before the court concerned in 24 hours of his/her detention. If police could arrest him, he could be produced before the court. But the police have no information about the BNP leader,” he said. Again claiming that the law enforcers have picked up Salahuddin, his family members demanded his safe and unhurt return. “I want my husband’s safe and unhurt return immediately. A man will go missing after being arrested by law enforcement agencies is not acceptable in any way,” said his wife Hasina Ahmed.Hasina Ahmed, also a former BNP MP, was speaking at a press briefing at the office of Law Reporters Forum at a High Court building in the city. She also filed a petition with the High Court in this regard. The family members fear that the law the enforcers might have detained Salahuddin and taken him to unknown place without handing him over to any police station.Earlier, members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested another BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi from a house at Baridhara in the city on January 30. Following Rizvi’s arrest, Salahuddin has been working as party spokesperson on behalf of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, from an undisclosed location.
