Cops, colleagues bin his claim of abduction
A Dhaka University teacher reappeared on his own at a Khagrachhari police Station yesterday, 42 hours after his alleged abduction from Dhaka, giving rise to more questions than answers.
On his appearance at Dighinala Police Station around 1:30pm, Nuruddin Alo, a lecturer of political science department, claimed to police that he had been abducted and tortured, but he somehow managed to escape.
He sought help and collapsed on the floor of the police station. Police then sent him to Dighinala upazila hospital for treatment.
Two hours later, he narrated to police and the media the story of his abduction.
Alo claimed that his two colleagues — Prof ASM Maksud Kamal of geology department and Associate Prof Amrain Hussain of political science department — and Syedul Bakin, uncle of a woman who earlier at a press conference claimed to be Alo’s wife, abducted him from the capital’s Uttara area Monday evening.
“When I reached Road-3 of Sector-7, they slapped chloroform on my nose and boarded me in a car. As far as I can recall, I was taken to Kamal’s house in Mirpur that night but I can’t tell how I got to Khagrachhari,” said Alo.
Hours after Alo’s disappearance, several of his students received texts on their mobile phones that read, “They have abducted me. Please do something.”
Asked how he had sent the text to his students and why the abductors did not take away his mobile phone, the DU teacher did not answer, reports our Khagrachhari correspondent.
Meanwhile, police did not find any major injury marks on Alo. He also couldn’t describe how he escaped from the abductors and came to Dighinala Police Station, said Al Asad Mohammad Mahfuzul Islam, assistant superintendent of police of Khagrachhari Sadar Circle.
“His behaviour is abnormal. Everything would become clear once he is alright,” said Sahadat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Dighinala Police Station.
Meanwhile, talking to The Daily Star, two of the accused, Bakin and Prof Kamal, denied the allegation of abduction. They also alleged that Alo was making a drama.
DU Proctor Amzad Hossain echoed the versions of Bakin and Prof Kamal.
“I think Alo is mentally disturbed. The incident of his disappearance and reappearance were staged drama,” he claimed.
According to sources, Alo had been involved in a dispute with Nurun Nahar, a physician from Chittagong. At a press conference in the capital on March 25, she claimed that Alo married her in 2008 and used to torture her for dowry.
The following day, Alo called another press conference where he refuted Nurun Nahar’s claim and proclaimed himself as a bachelor.
-With The Daily Star input
