Missing BJP Leaders: Police now say they picked up the two

Two top leaders of the newly formed Bangladesh Janata Party who “went missing” from the city's Sutrapur area around three weeks ago are now in police custody. Police say they arrested the duo on Monday. 

Mithun Chowdhury, the president of the party, along with one Azit Kumar Das, were picked up from the capital's Paltan area while Ashik Ghosh Ashit, another central leader of the party, was arrested from the city's Segunbagicha on Tuesday.

Mithun and Ashith went missing on October 27. Subsequently, the families of the victims, in separate press conferences at Dhaka and Sylhet, alleged that they were picked up by law enforcers, a claim that police and Rab denied instantly.

Mithun and Ashit were among 10 people, including a North South University assistant professor, a businessman and a journalist, who have been missing from the capital since August 22.

DB assistant commissioner Fazlur Rahman last night said Mithun and Ashit were arrested under section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, on charges of conspiring “to topple the present government” and “to bring BNP to the state powers through illegal means”.

He also claimed that the duo might have gone into hiding as Mithun, who is convicted in four cases, was wanted by police.

Mithun's wife Sumona Chowdhury Seema told The Daily Star yesterday that her husband and Ashit are victims of a conspiracy. “We believe police picked the duo up and kept them confined in the DB office since October 27,” she alleged.

Mithun and Azit were remanded for five days each after police produced them before a Dhaka Court on Monday. Ashit, who was also produced before the court, was sent to jail on Tuesday. 

In their remand prayer, DB inspector Almagir Hossain Patwari, also the investigation officer, said the two held a meeting with BNP leader Chowdhury Abdullah Al Faruk at his Sher-E-Bangla Nagar residence in the middle of this year to “discuss toppling the present government and to bringing BNP to power through illegally”.

 “They will return or be found”

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday said those who are now missing will return or law enforcers will find them.

He said many disappeared on their own in the past and law enforcement agency members found many of them while some others returned themselves.

The home boss made the remarks after inaugurating a modern morgue at Suhrawardy Medical College in the capital's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

Asked about missing North South University teacher Mubashar Hasan and journalist Utpal Das, he said detectives were on alert and the incidents were being investigated.

Without naming anyone, he also said he hoped that a person, whose disappearance has been much discussed lately, would be rescued soon by the detectives.

Assistant Professor Mubashar went missing on November 7.  Utpal Das, a senior reporter of news portal purboposhchimbd.news, has been traceless since October 10.

At least eight others, including a book importer, a businessman, a student and political leaders, have either been abducted or gone missing since August 22.

MORGUE OPENED

The morgue at Suhrawardy Medical College started its formal journey yesterday with a forensic team and a mortuary having the capacity to preserve nine bodies.

This is the third morgue in the capital after those in Dhaka Medical College and Sir Salimullah Medical College.

The home minister said the morgue would help medical students to a great extent.