Dhaka, Oct 25 (bdnews24.com) – Human rights watchdog Odhikar, in a report on Saturday, said that a young man of the city's Rampura area has been missing since elite crime force Rapid Action Battalion picked him up 15 months ago.
The family of the victim, Mohammad Tusher Islam Titu, 27, could not trace him even after long efforts to know his whereabouts, the report said.
RAB have denied the capture though Odhikar, quoting eyewitness statements, said he had been detained by members of the elite force.
According to the human rights watchdog, RAB had arrested Titu on July 22 last year from Dhukuria Bera Bazar of Belkuichi Upazila in Sirajganj.
RAB director general Hasan Mahmud Khandaker told bdnews24.com: "I have no information about this."
"[We] would take steps on the issue after investigation if they [Odhikaror/Titu's family] lodged a charge about this."
Odhikar talked to Titu's brother Kabirul Islam Manik, who was with him during the arrest, eyewitnesses Rafiqul Islam, 26, Mokbul Hossain, 30, at whose shop RAB arrested him while he was shopping, Faruq Sircar, 48, and Hazi Ashraf, 45, a sub-inspector of Belkuchi Police Station on whose motorcycle RAB took him away.
The rights watchdog also talked with Capt Habib at RAB-12 office on whose recommendations police let them go after stopping them on the road.
Shahnaj Akhtar, a sister of Titu, said her brother was a cloth dealer and involved with local politics. He would have to stay at their village home near Dhukuria Bera Bazar in Belkuichi Upazila as he had to sell clothes after buying those from their area.
A few plain clothes RAB men, who had introduced themselves as members of RAB-3, captured her brother. They also borrowed two motorcycles from Sircar and Ashraf as they had no vehicles with them at that time.
However, they rushed to Dhaka by the motorcycles without filing any document with the local police station, she added.
RAB-3 said they knew nothing after Titu's family contacted them. They also denied capturing Titu, according to Titu's family.
The report further said those RAB members who had borrowed two motorcycles gave two phone numbers to the motorcycles owners to contact with them [RAB members].
The two motorcycles owners later sought the return of their motorcycles on July 3 and then four RAB members, who were clad in RAB uniform, came by a white pick-up and returned their motorcycles.
RAB-3 DAD Mokhlesur Rahman then filed a GD with Belkuchi Police Station over the return of the two motorcycles.
The report also quoted Capt. 'Habib' of RAB-12 as saying that police stopped a few RAB members along with two motorcycles and then let them go after being confirmed about their identity from Dhaka.
The human rights watchdog expressed its concern as Titu has remained missing for more then a year after being captured by RAB.
On Dec 1, 2007, some RAB men, who introduced themselves as RAB members, also captured a man, Shafique Ullah Nayon, from Barisal.
He also remained missing later.
Bangladesh Human Rights Commission later wrote to RAB and police, seeking to know about him, but did not get any reply in this regard.
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