DHAKA: Eminent persons have sought Prime Minister’s intervention to rescue Abu Bakar Siddique, husband of Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association (Bela) Chief Executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan.

They came up with the plea in a press conference at BRAC Inn Centre on Thursday afternoon.

Columnist Syed Abul Maksud, Sultana Kamal, Hossain Zillur Rahman, Hamida Khanam, Engineer Iqbal Habib, Professor Monjurul Islam, Prefessor Anisuzzaman, Badiul Alam Majumdar, Khushi Kabir, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Sadeka Halim and Syed Zakir Hossain were among others present at press meet.

Syed Abul Maksud said, “Rizwana is an internationally famous environmentalist. We cannot accept her husband’s abduction in a broad day light. We know that the government is cordial and we have faith in the law enforcing agencies.”

Expressing hope, he said law enforcers would rescue Abu Bakar and give him back to his family as they had solved many sensational cases in the past.

Rizwana said, “This is not only a matter of Abu Bakar Siddique. There were 39 people abducted from January to March, of whom 12 were found dead, four came back, as the papers reported.”

She also said: “The government should take steps gleaning information from them otherwise we have to think which way the country is heading towards.”

She added that the government was sincere and law enforcers were helping her cordially.

Advocate Sultana Kamal said democracy would be put to question if this situation continues.

TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman expressed his concern over the whole scenario of the country.

BDST: 1735 HRS, APR 17, 2014