Shourav was dropped blindfolded with his hands and legs tied: Sohel Taj

Syed Iftekhar Alam Shourav, a nephew of former state minister for home affairs Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj, has returned to his family 11 days after he went missing in Chattogram.

An unidentified car dropped Shourav in front of a rice mill in Tarakanda Upazila in Mymensingh at 5:15am Thursday.

With police escort, the 28-year-old was sent to his family later in Dhaka's Banani

Police have yet to disclose information about his whereabouts over the past 11 days. He was being held somewhere, said Superintendent of Mymensingh Police Shah Abid Hossain.   

Shourav was dropped with his limbs tied and blindfolded, He was wearing just a pajama (undergarment), said Sohel Taj.

Shourav had been living with his parents in the port city's Panchlaish area. He graduated from Dhaka's Independent University before joining a school in Chattogram as a teacher. He was last seen in front of Panchlaish's Afmi Plaza on Jun 9.

His family alleged that Shourav was abducted by plainclothesmen over his relationship with a businessman’s daughter.

Sohel Taj suspects that officials of a public agency have a hand in the incident.

On Monday, Sohel Taj held a media briefing along with Shourav's parents Syeda Yasmin Arjuman and Syed Idris Alam at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity to call for his safe return.

The former Gazipur-4 MP sought Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's intervention to ensure that Shourav was returned alive and unharmed.

Syeda Yasmin told the media briefing, Shourav received a phone call on the afternoon of Jun 8. He was told to ready his credentials for a job opportunity. He was called again the next day and told to wait in front of Agora in Chattogram's Mimi Super Market.

"Our son left with the necessary documents and his passport at 7pm but never came back. His mobile phone was switched off."

He had received threats of being picked up a few times before over his relationship with the businessman's daughter, it was alleged in the media briefing.

Asked about the matter at media briefing on Jun 18, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said he was hopeful that Shourav would be found soon, adding that the police were working on it.

Later on Thursday morning, Sohel Taj went on Facebook Live and said Shourav had been found.

Shourav's mother received a phone call at 5:27am and was told that a car had dropped him off by the side of a road, said former state minister.

Sohel Taj later contacted Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Shahidullah of the police’s counterterrorism unit, who in turn informed the superintendent of Myemensingh Police . The SP then personally brought Shourav under the safe custody of police.

Thanking everyone for their support during the ordeal, Sohel Taj said he hoped that such incidents will not occur in future.

SP Shah Abid told reporters that workers of Jamir Rice Mills informed Shourav’s family after he was dropped in front of the factory.

On Shourav’s current state, the SP said, “He is healthy now. I can’t say much more right now as the situation hasn’t allowed us to speak with him. He said he will talk later.”

Asked whether Shourav divulged any information on his whereabouts over the last 11 days, Shah Abid said, “He can’t tell where he was. But he was being held. That’s all he said.”

Asked about the people who had dropped him off in Myemensingh, he said, “This is a matter of investigation.”

Sohel Taj went on Facebook Live again around 11:30am and before that he briefed the media when they were waiting in front of his house in Banani.

"The condition was not sound, What I have heard is that he was found with limbs tied. His body was almost naked and he was wearing just an undergarment. He was blindfolded too," the former state minister said.

“The superintendent of Mymingsingh police took Shourav to his house after rescuing him," he added.

"As Shourav was stressed and hungry, he was provided with a bath and refreshment. I think my words will help you all to understand his sufferings."

Sohel Taj had previously said that he will reveal the names who were behind the incident if his nephew was not freed. Reporters asked him about it on Thursday.

The former minister said, "My nephew was missing for last 11 days. Now it's time to make his family smile, it's not the time to answer the questions. I am just going to receive my boy. I want to let him be in peace now."

"There was no peace where he had been for the last 11 days. He has already insinuated to me about his sufferings. He is mentally stressed and traumatised. It would not be right to discuss the issue at this moment."

A microbus with police escort arrived at Sohel Taj's Banani house while he was on Facebook live. Shourav was spotted hugging his parents.

The three of them then went inside the house and they did not agree to speak to the media. Sohel Taj also turned his Facebook Live session off shortly afterwards.