An MP from Bangladesh, Anwarul Azim, has allegedly gone missing after arriving in Kolkata for treatment five days ago, officials said on Tuesday. A search operation has been launched to trace the three-time Awami League MP.
Azim, arrived in Kolkata on May 12. However, since then, he has not contacted his family, and the MP's phone has remained switched off since May 14, sources said.
The MP's family raised the matter with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and the Prime Minister's office subsequently informed diplomats in Delhi and Kolkata, who conveyed it to the police. The Bangladesh Embassy in Kolkata has also started an enquiry.
However, there has been no trace of MP Azim so far. According to Awami League sources, the MP often visits India for treatment, and Kolkata is familiar to him. Some of his acquaintances are also here.
An official of the consulate said that the MP entered West Bengal through the Darshana border on May 12 and, on the same day, went to the house of a friend named Gopal Biswas in Baranagar. Two days later, on May 14, he left his friend's house, saying he would try to return the same day; otherwise, he would return the next day. However, since Azim did not return as informed, Gopal Biswas filed a missing case with Kolkata police.
Apart from the Bangladesh connection, the MP was also using an Indian SIM card due to regular commuting. Gopal informed the police that both phones have been switched off. The MP left his belongings at his friend's house and left practically empty-handed, sources added.
Mumtarin Firdous, the daughter of MP Anwarul Azim, lodged a complaint about her father's disappearance with the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Intelligence Department on Tuesday.
According to senior Bangladesh intelligence officer Mohammad Haroon Rashid, the MP's phones are sometimes found to be switched off and sometimes functional, but he cannot be contacted.
Published On:
May 22, 2024
English (US) ·