'AL didn't abduct Ilias Ali'

BNP leader Mirza Abbas on Saturday revealed fresh information about the disappearance of BNP leader M Ilias Ali. He held some of the BNP leaders responsible for Ilias Ali's disappearance that took place on 17 April 2012.

Without mentioning the names of any leaders, Mirza, a member of BNP’s standing committee, said many know the faces of those people hiding inside the party. Moreover, he claimed ruling Awami League (AL) government did not abduct Ilias Ali, the then organising secretary of BNP.

Mirza Abbas made these disclosures while speaking at a virtual meeting on Saturday as a special guest while the secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir attended as chief guest. Sylhet division Jatiya Sanghati Sammelani-Dhaka organised the event seeking prayers for the quick recovery of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and demanding the return of former member of parliament M Ilias Ali.

Addressing the party’s secretary general regarding the disappearance of Ilyas Ali, Mirza Abbas said, “A night before he disappeared, he locked in an altercation with a man in the party office. Ilias hurled abuse at him during argument. The 'snakes' are still staying in the party. If they are not expelled from the BNP, then the party will not be able to move forward under any circumstance.”

Mirza Abbas added, “I know the AL government did not abduct him. So who abducted him? I want to know this from the government. A political leader went missing from the country. One of our leaders, Salauddin, was trafficked out of the country. Our Chowdhury Alam was a victim of forced disappeared. I convinced myself that this government did not do it. So who actually did it? Couldn’t the government bring those criminals to book?”