Columnist and writer Farhad Mazhar abduction and rescue episode remains a mystery. Law enforcers rescued him from a bus on the highway from Jessore after 18 hours of reported abduction.
The family claimed abduction, but the law enforcers believe the poet-columnist 'staged a drama'.
Mazhar allegedly went missing from Adabor in Dhaka earlier on Monday. Police said Mazhar made up the abduction drama but failed to prove it. The family members also said he was picked-up, blindfolded and taken away but they also failed to prove it.
Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ahsan Habib set Mazhar free on Tuesday afterrecording his judicial statement about his mysterious disappearance.
Taking nearly two hours time the Metropolitan Magistrate Md Ahsan Habib recorded his statement about his disappearance.
Adv Sanaullah Miah prayed to the court to allow him self-custody.
After hearing the Magistrate allowed the prayer. Mazhar left the court premises cordoned by his wife Farida Akhter and daughter Samtuli Haque and other relatives at 5.45pm.
Meanwhile, Abdul Baten, Joint Commissioner of Detective Branch said at a briefing at Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Media Centre at Mintoo Road on Tuesday that Mazhar kidnapping case will be investigated according to his statement given in a lower court. "Mazhar was blindfolded, picked up and taken away," Mazhar claim to the police.
"A kidnapping case was registered with Adabar Police Station in this connection on Monday night. Notably, journalists threw a flurry of questions about the whole incident to the police official, which he avoided. He walked off without replying to any of the questions.
The RAB has dramatically found columnist and controversial activist Farhad Mazhar on a bus in Jessore's Noapara ending a frantic 18-hour search after he reportedly went missing from Dhaka.
Mazhar was found on a bus around 11:30pm on Monday and later taken to Abhaynagar Police Station, according to the RAB.
The columnist was travelling back to Dhaka, Khulna RAB-6 Commanding Officer Khandaker Rafiqul Islam said.
Deputy Inspector General Police of Khulna Range Didar Ahmed briefed the media on finding Mazhar at midnight on Monday. He said the columnist was found to be in a stable condition.
"He was travelling like a healthy person. He was carrying a bag with a T-shirt and some money in it. He didn't even forget to take his mobile phone charger," said Didar.
Asked whether it was a 'drama staged by the columnist', the DIG said, "Initially, it appears so. First conversations with him and the circumstances indicate that he was travelling on his own."
A restaurant owner in Khulna City later claimed he saw the activist dining in his eatery in New Market area around 8:00pm. The law enforcers intensified the search in the area then.
"He left after eating rice, lentil and vegetables. He wore a lungi and a white head scarf and appeared very tired," said the restaurateur, Abdul Mannan.
Asked how he became certain that he saw Mazhar, Mannan told the media that he had not recognised him at first sight. "I informed the RAB after seeing his photo on TV," he said.
RAB official Rafiqul said the elite police unit deduced that Mazhar was returning to Dhaka after he was spotted in a Khulna restaurant. "We later traced him to Noapara."
Rapid Action Battalion-6 Commanding Officer Rafiqul Islam said Mazhar told the elite force he was tied up in a sack during abduction.
"CCTV footages show him leaving Dhaka in a microbus. The vehicle itself is traceless. Later, he was seen having dinner at a restaurant beside Khulna New Market around 8:30pm," the official said.
"The restaurant manager tipped us off. Mazhar was alone at that time. We showed his photo at all the bus counters in the city and managed to pinpoint the bus he was in." "We then rescued him from the bus on the highway. We could not get any further details. He kept telling us that he was sick and that he would say more later."
Farhad Mazhar was brought to Dhaka from Jessore around 9:00am in the morning. He was then taken to the DB office at Dhaka's Minto Road around 10:00am Tuesday from Adabor Police Station.
While talking to media, Farhad's daughter Chaumtoli Huq said, "My father looks very ill and exhausted. I have never seen him like this before. We are worried about his health."
Police claimed they have recovered a carryall from Farhad Mazhar on Monday. It contained shirts and a mobile phone charger.
However, Farhad's wife Farida Akhter and his daughter said that Farhad did not have any such a bag with him when he left the house in the morning.
When asked about the carryall, she said, "I do not know whether he had his carryall with him but he always carries one with him for his books. But, the bag that was recovered with him was not the one that he usually uses. I do not know where this bag came from."
Farhad Mazhar attended a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) before this abduction with acting Editor of the Daily Amar Desh Mahmudur Rahman on Sunday. Mahmudur, a former energy adviser to the BNP-led government, was also criticized for his anti government activities.
