Rahela Khatun, 60, told newsmen here yesterday that she escaped from the clinic in Dhaka on June 28 and reached Kishoreganj town yesterday.

Rahela Khatun said her son Masudul Hoque Sikder and daughter Minu tried to grab the Alormela family house keeping them at rehabilitation centers. Earlier, she and her husband filed a general diary (GD) with Kishoreganj police station, she added.

She said her son with the help of a gang kidnapped her and her husband Dr. Shafiuddin Sikder, 70, from their residence at Alormela on June 17.

The kidnappers took them into a microbus with black glasses. As they tried to resist, the kidnappers pushed wet towels into their mouths.

Rahela Khatun said she was taken to a hospital for rehabilitation of mental and drug addicts at Babar Road in Mohammadpur in Dhaka city. Her husband was taken to another rehabilitation hospital in Monipuri Para in Tejgaon in the capital.

Rahela Khatun claimed that while they were being kidnapped, five persons from the hospitals were also at the microbus.

Rahela Khatun said she was kept at the drug rehabilitation center for 12 days. As she was a diabetic, she was allowed to have morning walk inside the clinic.

On June 28, early in the morning, she was having a stroll when most of the hospital staff were asleep. She managed to escape and came to Kapasia in Mymensingh and then went to her sister's residence at Kharampatti in Mymensingh town on July 1.

She talked to newsmen at the Kharampatti residence of her sister. Nusrat Jahan Dina, youngest daughter of Rahela Khatun, earlier filed a kidnapping case with Kishoreganj police station accusing her elder brother Masudul Hoque Sikder, her elder sister Monwara Akter Minu and Minu's husband Aminul Islam Babul.

As the sensational incident came to light, three newsmen on June 27 went to the victims' residence at Alormela, which was already 'occupied' by Masudul Hoque Sikder.

Masudul Hoque's men detained the newsmen there. Joint forces later freed them and arrested Masudul Hoque and Monwara Akter Minu from the house.

On June 28, SI Salahuddun of Kishoreganj police station, who was investigation officer (IO) of the kidnapping case, produced Masudul Hoque Sikder and his elder sister Monwara Akter Minu before a magistrate court in Kishoreganj. The court placed Masudul Hoque on two day's remand and sent Minu to jail.

On July 30, acting on information given by Masudul Hoque, SI Salahuddin accompanied by the accused (Masud) went to the clinic at Tejgaon and rescued Masud's father Dr. Safiuddin Sikder.

Dr. Shafiuddin was produced before the court, which sent him to his Alormela residence under the custody of complainant Dina.

The court recorded Dr. Safiuddin's statement, court sources said.

But Dina, who was with her mother Rahela Khatun at her aunt's house at Kharampatti yesterday, said she was driven out of the Alormela residence by accused Aminul Islam Babul.

Dina claimed that said her father was confined at a room at the Alormela residence, now occupied by the accused.

Dr. Shafiuddin's younger brother retired agriculture official Toufiq Uddin Sikder told newsmen correspondent that his brother (Dr. Shafiuddin) was physically sound and had been practising as a doctor at a private clinic in Kishoreganj town.

But he looked pale and abnormal when he was produced before court, Toufiq Uddin said.

The accused could not be contacted as they were in police custody.