Eminent columnist, poet and human rights activist Farhad Mazhar. File Photo

DHAKA, March 13, 2025 (BSS) – A court here today ordered the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to reinvestigate into the abduction case of eminent columnist, poet and human rights activist Farhad Mazhar.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Minhazur Rahman passed the order asking PBI to submit the reinvestigation report before the court on April 27. 

According to the case details, Farhad Mazhar went missing after he was coming out of his Haque Garden residence at Shyamoli Ring Road from July 3 in 2017.

He later informed her wife over his cell phone that some people were taking him away and he might have been murdered. Later, Tk 35 lakh was demanded as ransom by making phone calls for six times. 

The law enforcement agencies rescued Farhad Mazhar from a passenger bus of Hanif Paribahan at Avoynagar in Jashore district through tracking his cell phone after 19 hours of his abduction. 

A case was filed with Adabar Police Station by Farhad Mazhar’s wife now Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter on the night of his abduction. 

Inspector of Detective Branch (DB) and investigation officer of the case Mahabubul Alam submitted final report before the court on October 31 in 2017 confirming that no evidence was found of Farhad Mazhar’s abduction. 

The investigation officer also sought permission from the court to file case against Farhad Mazhar and the plaintiff for misleading and harassing by giving false information. 

On the other hand, the defence lawyer Syed Joynul Abedin Mesbah filed a naraji (no confidence) petition against the final report. 

After hearing, the court took into cognizance the naraji petition. Later in the afternoon, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Khurshid Alam cancelled the naraji petition. 

The court also gave permission to file case against Farhad Mazhar and his wife. 

Later, the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Subrato Ghosh Shuvo asked the duo to appear before the court on December 31 after accepting the petition of the investigation officer. 

The defence filed a revision with Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judges Court against cancellation of the naraji petition. 

Recently, No-10 Special Judges Court Judge Md Rezaul Karim ordered to rehearing on the naraji petition filed by the plaintiff.   

On Tuesday, a Dhaka court accepted the naraji petition and asked the PBI to reinvestigate into the case filed for kidnapping Farhad Mazhar.