B'desh expresses concern over abduction of NGO employee

Dhaka, Sep 17 (UNI) Expressing grave concern over the abduction of another employee of Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) in Afghanistan, adviser to the interim government and incharge of the foreign ministry Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury today appealed for his immediate release.

Nurul Islam, an employee of the Bangladeshi NGO office in the strife-torn Afghanistan, was abducted by armed assailants on Saturday.

This was a second incident of abducting a BRAC man within five days, after the abduction and killing of one last Wednesday.

''We fervently appeal to those who have abducted him to immediately release. His mission in Afghanistan is purely humanitarian--he is there only to help his Afghan brethren,'' Dr Chowdhury said.

The adviser also spoke to the Afghan ambassador in Bangladesh, Ahmad Karim Nawabi, regarding the issue. The envoy assured him of Afghan government's ''all-out cooperation'' in obtaining Islam's release.

UNI