It has been more than six months that Bangladesh origin British citizen Yasin Mohammad Abdus Samad Talukdar went missing, but the law enforcement agencies are still in dark about his “disappearance”.
Yasin’s family and the British high commission said Yasin is in police custody, but both Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police said Yasin is not in their custody.
Haji Alam Khan, the person who took Tk 5 million from Yasin’s family promising to bring him back to the family, has been arrested recently. The police said he is a member of fraud gang. He, along with two others, took the money claiming themselves to be police sources.
Yasin’s mother, Suraiya Parvin Talukdar, said her son was abducted by the law enforcers on 14 July 2016. She filed a general diary (GD) with the Banani police station in this connection that day. But the law enforcers are yet to find Yasin. Suraiya Parvin, however, believes her son is in police custody, as she told Prothom Alo.
When asked about the case, the deputy commissioner of the police (media wing), Masudur Rahman, said they don’t have anyone of this name in their custody.
This correspondent sent an e-mail to the British high commissioner, Alison Blake, asking how much information they have regarding Yasin’s abduction. The senior press officer of the high commission Faroha Suhrawardy replied they are in touch with Yasin’s family. They are also in touch with Bangladesh authority to provide legal assistance.
RAB's legal and media wing director Mufti Mahmud Khan told Prothom Alo RAB didn’t find Yasin yet. “But, why the British high commission said he is arrested is better known to the commission itself,” he said.
Yasin ran two coaching centres at Banani and also gave private tuitions at his residence for O-level and A-level students.
Prothom Alo published a report on 6 November titled “Family pays Tk 5m in fear of 'crossfire'” and based on that story a person was arrested on 12 November named Haji Alam Khan by RAB-4.
Suraiya Parvin identified the person that day and filed a fraud case against him and two others with the Bhashantek police station. The two other accused are Samim Kamal (Labu) and Mojibor. Later they were also taken to a four-day remand.
Deputy assistant director (DAD) Md Alauddin Mia said he led the RAB team that arrested Haji Alam Khan, but they did not interrogate him; they handed him over to police.
Suraiya Parvin said Haji Alam confessed at Bhashantek police station in front of her that he took the money. He also said he already spent Tk 2.6 million and has the rest. But police did not return any money to Suraiya.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is now investigating the fraud case. The investigative officer of CID sub-inspector (SI) Abdul Aziz said he got the document on 7 January, no notable progress has been done.
This case was first being investigated by Bhashantek police station inspector (investigation) Md Saju Mia. He said Haji Alam said he is a member of Awami Olama League.
The Banani police station officer in-charge PM Forman Ali said they don’t have any information about the whereabouts of Yasin, they are trying to find him out.
*The article originally published in Prothom Alo print edition is rewritten in English by Abu Ismail Mohammad Daniel and Sitesh Kumar Saha.