No progress has yet been made in the investigation into the disappearance of Bangladesh Nationalist Party organising secretary M Ilias Ali and his driver Ansar Ali even in two years since their abduction.
Although the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, had assured Ilias’s wife of all-out efforts to rescue him, the investigation became stagnant.
Ilias Ali, also former BNP lawmaker, and his driver Ansar Ali went missing from Banani around midnight past April 17, 2012.
The police recovered his abandoned car from near his Banani house on early April 18, 2012 and found Ansar’s mobile phone in the car.
Soon after the disappearance, Ilias’s wife Tahsina Rushdir filed a general diary with Banani police station.
The police primarily interrogated several witnesses, including coconut vendor Sohel Rana, roadside shop worker Sanowar Hossain, Nurani Tower security guard Lutfur Rahman and Lal Mia from Nagarpur in Tangail.
The Rapid Action Battalion and the police have raided several places at Pubail in Gazipur and Dhaka in search of Ilias, but could get no clue.
Three investigators have so far investigated the matter. The then Banani police station inspector (investigation) Kazi Mainul Islam had started the investigation. After his transfer, his successor Nasir Uddin and Nasir’s successor Ashraful Islam conducted the investigation. None of them could make any headway in the investigation.
Last investigation officer Ashraful Islam has recently been transferred to the police bureau of investigation. Banani police officer-in-charge Bhuiyan Mahbub Hasan said that there was no ‘notable progress’ in finding the whereabouts of Ilias and Ansar.
He said that they continued the investigation and set a number of informants for collecting whereabouts of the BNP leader.
Rapid Action Battalion director general Mokhlesur Rahman also said that there was no development in the investigation but they were trying their best to trace out Ilias.
Tahsina told that, ‘What else have I to say? I vented all my feelings, but got no support from any quarter.’
The police said that they submitted at least 35 progress reports before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court that had asked them to do so. The last one was submitted on March 17.
There were a number of rumours on the whereabouts of Ilias and his driver. Rumours had it that Ilias was kept in India. The police, however, said that they found no information to substantiate the claims.
Ansar Ali’s family also is passing their days in utter misery. Ansar’s wife Mukta Begum said that everyone was expressing concern about Ilias but none paid any attention to their family.
Mukta is still optimistic about the return of her husband. She is living with 5-year daughter Chandni and earning their livelihood by teaching at a primary school at Bishwanath in Sylhet. The BNP continued alleging that the ‘government agencies, especially, the Rapid Action Battalion had picked up Ilias. The battalion director general, however, denied the allegation.
On the occassion Sylhet District and City BNP arranged Milad and Dua mahfil in Shah Jalal Dorga Mosjid after magrib prayer. Another Milad and Dua mahfil arranged in Ramdana village in Elias Ali house Biswnath upazila.
