BNP joint secretary general Salahuddin Ahmed was found 10 days ago, two months after he had gone missing. BNP maintains a mysterious silence on the issue, provoking questions from various quarters.
Salahuddin was found on 12 May in Shillong, the capital of the Indian state of Meghalaya. Till Thursday, BNP has made no official statement in this regard. The party is not making a diplomatic move to get him back either. When he went missing on 10 March, BNP issued a statement the next day, saying that 20 to 30 members of law enforcement agencies, including the police, detective branch (DB) and RAB have picked him up from a house in Uttara. His family made the same claims.
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia had also warned, "If anything happens to Salahuddin, there will be dire consequences." At a meeting just two days before Salahuddin was found, Khaleda had said, "Salahuddin Ahmed is with RAB. Return him to his family immediately, or put him back from where you took him."
A day after Salahuddin was found, Khaleda had a meeting with the Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal on 12 May at her Gulshan office. Even then Khaleda made no statement about Salahuddin. She has made statements in the media demanding the release of the party's incarcerated leaders, but with no mention of Salahuddin. Within 12 to 19 May, BNP has held several press conferences on various issues, but Salahuddin was not mentioned.
At a press conference on 14 May, reporters asked about the silence on the Salahuddin issue. BNP's spokesperson Asaduzzaman Ripon said, Salahuddin's actual condition needs to be confirmed. Members of his family are going to Meghalaya shortly and then his condition will be known. BNP will speak about it then.
BNP leaders have said that a decision has been taken from the top leadership of the party to remain silent on Salahuddin. They are not capitalising on the issue for political ends, but viewing it from a humanitarian angle. The interests of Salahuddin's family are being given priority.
Two leaders of BNP's foreign affairs wing are looking after the Salahuddin issue behind the scenes. They are in communication with the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. BNP hasn't sent any party leader of team as yet. The party's central assistant office secretary Abdul Latif had gone to Shillong on his own accord and is still there.
BNP joint secretary general Mohammed Shahjahan told Prothom Alo, "Salahuddin is Ahmed a BNP leader. But he is also a husband and a father. We are giving priority to that. We don't want his family t be harmed because of the party."
Salahuddin's wife Hasina Ahmed met with Khaleda before she left for Meghalaya. She requested that the party not make any statements in the media about Salahuddin at the moment. She feared this would bring further harm to him. After that Khaleda instructed her party leaders to maintain silence on the matter for the time being.
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