Youth returns home 16 months after being picked up by 'RAB'

A youth from Dhaka’s Dhamrai has come back home 16 months after he was picked up by men identifying themselves as members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on 29 August night last year.

21-year-old Rahmat Ullah returned home on Sunday afternoon. During a visit to his home at Bornalai village under Gangutia union in Dhamrai on Sunday evening, Rahmat Ullah’s mother Mamtaz Begum was found overwhelmed with emotions getting back her son.

“I’ve got my son back, I find my peace. Allah has returned my son,” Mamtaz said.

“My son had been suffering from fever for eight days. RAB and plainclothesmen picked him up when he was lying near me. They told me that they would return my son after interrogation. Since then I went to the RAB office, DB office and police for innumerable times but did not get my son back. Finally I have got him back," Mamtaz added.

Family members said that on Saturday (21 December) afternoon, Rahmat Ullah's elder brother Md Obaidullah received a call from an unknown number. The person on the other end introduced himself as sub inspector Md Fazle Bari of the Rohanpur police investigation center of Gomostapur police station in Chapainawabganj and said that he had found Rahmat Ullah.

Obaidullah inquired and confirmed the matter. After that, four members of the family headed for Chapainawabganj.

Md Obaidullah told Prothom Alo, “After receiving the call from SI Md Fazle Bari, we went to Chapainawabganj. From there, I took Rahmat Ullah home. Initially, Rahmat Ullah could not recognise me. He is still not talking much.”
Even after returning home, Rahmat Ullah mostly remains silent. He is not talking to anyone. Rahmat Ullah remains silent when asked questions. He answers some questions in short words.

He told Prothom Alo, “After being released from an Indian jail, I was brought to Bangladesh. I’ve reached home today.”

Gomastapur police said Rahmat Ullah informed them that he was picked up on 29 August last year by the RAB men from his own house. He was then confined in Dhaka blindfolded for nine months. Airplanes flew around the place frequently where he was confined. His eyes were kept open only while eating and blindfolded again after taking meals. After about nine months, the intelligence agency people took him to the Benapole border in Jashore in a Hiace car. After that, Rahmat Ullah was taken to the Indian border. After wandering around India for two or three days, the Indian police arrested him.

Rahmat Ullah told the police that he was kept in a jail in India on charges of trespassing. He was sentenced to six months in prison. Rahmat Ullah was also fined RS 1,000 and would have to serve two months for failure to pay the sum. After serving seven months in jail, he was finally brought to the border by a vehicle from Dum Dum Central Jail. He was 'pushed back' to Bangladesh around 12 midnight last Friday. Later, he went to Gomostapur police station. After that, the police questioned him and took information about his family.

Rohanpur police investigation’s acting in charge Md Fazle Bari told Prothom Alo that Rahmat Ullah initially suspected that police might kill him. However, when he became somewhat normal, the police obtained the information about his family and contacted them with the help of Dhamrai police station. Later, when his family members reached the police station, Rahmat Ullah’s brother was asked to identify him by placing five different people in front of him. Rahmat’s brother was able to identify correctly.

Md Fazle Bari said, “I asked him why he was arrested. He replied they (RAB members) said I am a militant.”

The police then searched CDMS (Crime Database Management System) software and found no case against him.

Gomastapur police station’s officer-in-charge Khairul Bashar told Prothom Alo that during interrogation Rahmat Ullah said he was detained by the law enforcers for nine months inside the country. He was then handed over to two persons in the Jashore border area. Then they took him to India. After spending seven months in Indian jail, Rahmat Ullah was pushed back at dead of night by a boat. He then inquired locals about his whereabouts and reached the Gomastapur police station.