DHAKA: Dhaka City Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, also a vice-chairman of the opposition BNP, Tuesday demanded immediate release of Chowdhury Alam, Ramna thana president of the party and councilor of the DCC ward No. 56.

Making the demand at a news conference at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity office, he said Chowdhury Alam was picked up from Farmgate area by some plainclothes RAB members stopping his car at around 9pm on June 25 and his car driver was beaten up.  

Alam’s car was found abandoned in front of the WASA Bhaban at Karwan Bazar the following day and now it is kept at Tejgaon thana.

Mayor Khoka also alleged that attempts were made to abduct him earlier. On June 20, some plainclothes men attempted to drag Alam out of his car in Gulshan area, but his driver quickly reached Gulshan 2 and sought help of on-duty police. Police then arrested one person identified as Belayet, who gave his identity as a member of RAB intelligence wing.

“Alam’s family members are in serious worry as they could not know the whereabouts of Aalm yet,” he said.

Further narrating the Alam episode Khoka told reporters that his family members went to file a general diary after he was detained, but police said arrests are being made ahead of the hartal. So, they all will be freed after the end of the hartal.

“But, after the hartal, his whereabouts is still unknown,” said the mayor.

He demanded that he be let know the whereabouts of the councilor of his city corporation. He called upon the prime minister, the home minister and others concerned to let Alam’s family members know his whereabouts and set him free forthwith.

Family members of Alam and several ward commissioners attended the press conference.

BDST/1315, June 29,2010
MM/AZ/KL/EH/MUA