RAB official accused of abduction to avenge father’s death

The family of a wood trader, who went missing a month ago, has alleged that an official of Rapid Action Battalion abducted the businessman to avenge the murder of the elite force member’s father.

The family members of Ismail Hossain, 60, brought the allegation against Rasel Ahmed Kabir, the RAB’s director for communications and signal, at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity on Saturday.

The RAB official has denied the allegations brought by Hossain’s wife Nasrin Jahan Smriti and her younger brother Khairul Alam. 

The businessman has remained missing since he left his home at Mirpur in the capital about 9am on June 19, according to the family.

Alam filed a general diary or GD with Shah Ali Police Station on the following day as Hossain’s mobile phone was also found off.

Kabir abused his powers to abduct her husband, Smriti alleged demanded to know whether Hossain was alive.

Two of their children were also present.

"My children cannot sleep at night without their father. They wait for him at the door. We are helpless without him," Smriti said.

Hossain was accused in a case 35 years ago over the murder of Kabir’s father Foyez Ahmed Mintu Mia, a then leader of the Jatiyatabadi Ganatantrik Dal in Kishoreganj's Bajitpur, according to Smriti.

The court found him innocent and acquitted him of the charges, but Kabir sought to avenge the murder of his father, Hossain had told Smriti four to five days before the alleged abduction, according to the woman.

Hossain had also wanted to file a GD over the suspected plot, Smriti said.

But Kabir said his family “forgot” what had happened to them 35 years ago, citing his age, 2 years, during the death of his father.

“So the question of abducting someone for that doesn’t arise. These allegations are untrue,” the RAB official said.

"And if the family has any allegation against me, they could inform the RAB first. But they didn't do so," he added.