The effort is on to find out and arrest BNP Joint Secretary General Salahuddin Ahmed, says Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque.

He made the statement after inaugurating the Sylhet range reserve force barrack on Friday.

The IGP said, ‘Law enforcing agencies did not arrest Salahuddin. His name was included in case filed against him. We are trying to find him out and arrest him. We are trying to know his whereabouts.’

Responding to a question whether police will hinder the campaign of city corporation elections candidates who have cases filed against them, the IGP said, ‘We will take steps according to law. We are bound to assist the election commission. We will abide by the directions of the commission for holding a free and fair election.’

BNP joint secretary general Salahuddin Ahmed has remained out of sight since 10 March. Family members and the party claim that plainclothes, claiming them as police, picked him up. But the Rapid Action Battelion and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said they have not detained or arrested Salahuddin.

Salahuddin’s wife Hasina Begum went to file a General Diary (GD) with the Gulshan and Uttara Police stations on 11 March but the stations did not accept her GD.

On 12 March, Hasina Begum moved to the High Court to seek remedy claiming that the law enforcers in plainclothes picked her husband up from an Uttara house in the capital on 10 March night and yet to hand him over to any police station.

Responding to the petition under section 491 of the CrPC filed by Salahuddin’s wife, the HC issued a rule in this regard.

Later, the court on 16 March, adjourned the hearing on the rule to find out BNP joint secretary general Salahuddin Ahmed till 8 April.