Green activist Syeda Rizwana Hasan’s husband and businessman Abu Bakar Siddique, who was freed on Thursday midnight from captivity of the kidnappers, yesterday said he still feels insecure.
“I could not think that I would be able to return alive. I still do not fell me secured,” he told reporters after he came out from the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Zabid Hossain in Narayanganj following submitting his deposition under section 164 of Criminal Procedures (CrPC).In his deposition over his abduction Sidique said, “I’m not sure why I was abducted. Money might be the reason behind it.”
He also described in the court that he was not tortured by the abductors during his captivity.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Begum Chandni Rupom recorded the statement of Siddique at her office room from 12.30pm to 2.45pm on Friday.
Earlier, AB Siddique was taken to Narayanganj in the morning for his deposition before the court.
Medical Officer of Narayanganj General Hospital Md Farhad has checked up his physical condition at the SP office. After his health checkup, Farhad told reporters that Siddique had not been tortured but he had been blindfolded and hands tied during the captivity.
Narayanganj Superintendent of Police (SP) Syed Nurul Islam at a press conference at his office said the kidnappers had released Abu Bakar Siddique under pressure from different quarters. AB Siddique and his wife Syeda Rizwana Hasan were present on the occasion.
The abductors released AB Siddique after about 35 hours of his abduction from Fatulla in Narayanganj in broad day light on Wednesday.
“The kidnappers released AB Siddigue under heavy pressure from different quarters including the huge coverage of media. We took different measures to find out AB Siddigue. The state minister for home affairs phoned me 16 times about the matter,” he said.
The police official said the gang of kidnappers was very skilled and we are investigating in keeping mind some motives.
He said on completion of the legal procedure, the police would take steps to arrest the kidnappers based on AB Siddique’s statement.
The police super said the Hi-Ace vehicle used in kidnapping him had been seized in Khulna. It was owned by a resident at Dhanmandi in the city, he added.
Siddique was brought to the SP office at about 11:00 am. His wife Rizwana was also there with him.
Later, Siddique was taken to the office of Superintendent of Police of Narayanganj from where he was taken to his garment unit situated in the city. He was also taken to Bhuingarh from where he was picked by the abductors.
An on-duty police team from Dhanmondi Police Station rescued AB Siddique from a CNG-run auto-rickshaw near the Kalabagan Playground in the city at about 1.45am on Friday.
The abductors earlier dropped him near the Mirpur Ansar Camp at Mirpur section-1 at around 11.30pm with his eyes blindfolded.
Siddique told reporters that the abductors dropped him near the Mirpur Ansar Camp with eyes blindfolded and gave him Tk 300 as transport fare.
“I took a rickshaw to Kazipara from where I hired a CNG auto-rickshaw to go to my Central Road residence. I was stopped by police at the check post near the Kalabagan playground,” he said.
Then the police took him to the Dhanmondi police station, from where he later went to his Central Road home.
Bangladesh Environment Lawyers’ Association (BELA) lawyer Iqbal Kabir told reporters Siddique had not been tortured in captivity but that he had been blindfolded during the whole 35 hours.
He further said the kidnappers had talked about money but they had not demanded it from him.
Deputy Commissioner (Ramna Division) Maruf Sheikh told reporters that a police team from Dhanmondi Police Station was checking vehicles setting up a check-post near the Kalabagan playground shortly after midnight.
When they searched a CNG-driven auto-rickshaw at about 1:30 am, they found a passenger sitting inside it, DC Maruf said. He said as the law enforcers wanted to know about his identity, he introduced himself as abducted businessman Abu Bakar Siddique.
The police team then took him to the Dhanmondi Police Station from where his family members were informed about his rescue. And then Rizwana and other family members rushed to the police station. DC Maruf said.
Maruf said Abu Bakar Siddique told them he could not remember who abducted him and where he was detained but the abductors released him in Ansar Camp area.
Officials of forensic department of Criminal Investigation Department have collected samples from the personal car of Siddique.
Siddique, the managing director of Hamid Fashion, a garment factory, was kidnapped from Delpara on Dhaka-Narayanganj link road under Fatullah Police Station at about 2:30pm on Wednesday while he was returning to Dhaka by his car from work. He is there.
The rescue operation began soon after and continued throughout Wednesday night and Thursday until he was freed by his abductors. –Staff Reporter
