But instead of paying the ransom, Mazhar was released hundreds of kilometers (miles) away and given a bus ticket to return to his Dhaka home. The family said that Mazhar, who is also a controversial figure tied to the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, was still traumatized and receiving hospital care. The opposition blamed security agencies, but the country’s home minister praised police for their quick rescue. Bangladesh’s intelligence and security agencies have long been blamed for disappearance and secret detentions of scores of people, mostly those connected to the opposition. On Thursday, Human Rights Watch released a report in New York blaming the government for many of the secret detentions and disappearances of opposition figures since 2013.

Source: Washington Post July 06, 2017 06:17 UTC