Bangladesh hostage drama in 23rd day

The hostage crisis here passed its 22nd day yesterday with the abductors paying no heed to an appeal by the authorities to free three Europeans they are holding hostage in the Rangamati hill district.

CHT (Chittagong Hill Tracts) Affairs Minister Kalparanjan Chakma's renewed appeal made at a public meeting on Tuesday for the release of the three road engineers held captive in the forest-clad Kalapahar hills failed to get any response from the abductors.

The minister was given the responsibility of taking steps to obtain the release of the abducted foreigners but so far his efforts have failed. He gave the abductors an ultimatum, threatening to launch an army operation but to no avail.

Several local administration officials have said that they were doing everything on the instructions of the minister to get the foreigners released.
The army cordon around Kalapahar, which was slightly relaxed for a safe escape of the abductors from their hideout after releasing the hostages under the terms of the negotiations, was reinforced on Thursday.