4 missing in Pabna

Four people, including three of a family, have been missing for the last ten days since May 10 in Pabna as  plainclothes men introducing themselves as members of the elite force Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) allegedly arrested them.

Family members alleged that the plainclothes men introducing themselves as Rab members arrested the youths.

Denying the allegation of arresting the four, Md. Moniruzzaman, commander of Pabna Rab camp, said they do not know who arrested them. Rab, Pabna camp did not arrest them, he said, adding that they are not sure whether any other force were involved in nabbing them. Family members of the victims worried about the fate of the victims.

Of the youths, three were taken from Khagarbaria village of Faridpur upazila while the other from Ullapara in Sirajganj the same day.

The missing youths are Tikkah Sardar, 35, Ershad Miah, 30 and Saddam Hossain, 25 sons of Md Abdul Karim Member of village Khagarbaria and Dulal Hossain, 30, son of Mofazzal Hossain son-in-law of Abdul Karim of the same village. Police said the victims had enmity with local groups.

Dulal was an accused in local Jubo Dal leader Liton murder case, said  Md. Habibur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Faridpur police station.

"Dulal went missing after the murder incident. Police did not him find out. But the three others are not accused in the murder case, the OC said.

Talking to The Daily Star, Abdul Karim said Dulal was detained from Ullapara at about 2:00am on May 10 and the same night a group of plainclothes men arrested his three sons from their house in Khagarbaria at about 4:00am.

"They introduced themselves as members of Rab. The armed men put the handcuff to my sons and caught them from the house." Karim said. He said they  went to the Pabna Rab camp the next day but they denied nabbing of my sons, Karim said adding that the police, however, did not take their complaint about the matter.

Officer-in-charge of Faridpur police station Md Habibur Rahman said they have informed the matter unofficially firstly and later lodged a general diary with the police station.

"We have been trying to find out the victims but no law enforcing agency takes the responsibility of nabbing them," the OC said. He said who caught them is not clear to them. The OC said they asked the victims' family to file a case but they did not follow.

Protesting the missing of three brothers hundreds of villagers staged a demonstration at the upazila headquarters. Later a protest rally was held at the Faridpur Poura Muktomoncho on Thursday.