By IANS
Dhaka : Bangladesh has sought US assistance for release of Nurul Islam, employee of its NGO Brac, who has been kidnapped by suspected Taliban in Afghanistan six days ago.
Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury made the request during a meeting with visiting US Deputy Assistant Secretary John Gastright.
The US is leading the anti-terror campaign in Afghanistan since 2001 with its own special forces and as part of NATO.
Bangladesh foreign ministry has also briefed Pakistan about the situation, Chowdhury said, adding: “I hope the kidnappers won’t prolong Nurul Islam’s sufferings during the holy month of Ramadan.”
Dhaka has been concerned about three recent abductions of the staff of its international NGO Brac working on developments projects in Afghanistan, one of whom, Abdul Alim, Brac project’s area manager, was found shot dead.
Brac officials Wednesday said they did not receive any updates of rescue operation or investigation into Nurul Islam’s abduction.
Quoting Afghan police, BBC on Tuesday reported that they arrested three men in connection with the Brac employee’s kidnap. But the kidnappers were common criminals, Afghan police said.
Meantime, the body of Alim, shot dead in Afghanistan on Sep 12, was buried in his hometown in Tangail, northern Bangladesh.
Dhaka is constantly in touch with Kabul, where Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar said he had already made an appeal to the kidnappers to release Nurul Islam.
Dhaka says that Brac and other development agencies are in Afghanistan “only to help their Afghan brethren”.
Brac has said that unless security was guaranteed, it would review its presence in Afghanistan, where it has been working since 2002.