Jessore: Police rescued poet and columnist Farhad Mazhar from Nayapara in Abhaynagar upazila on Monday night, over 18 hours after he was reportedly kidnapped from the capital, Dhaka.

A police team rescued him from a ‘Hanif Paribahan’ bus around 11:30pm while returning to Dhaka from Khulna, said officer-in-charge of Abhaynagar Police Station Anisur Rahman.

Earlier in the early hours, Farhad Mazhar was reportedly kidnapped by unknown miscreants from Adabar area in Dhaka.

Quoting family members, Mohsin, a sub-inspector of Adabar Police Station, said Farhad Mazhar came out of his residence,

‘Haq Garden’, at Adabar Link Road after receiving a phone call around 4:00am.

His wife later got a phone call from the unknown miscreants demanding Tk 35 lakh as ransom for his release, he said.

Having failed to know the whereabouts of Farhad Mazhar till 10:00am, his family members went to Adabar Police Station and informed the police about it.

A team of Rapid Action Battalion also conducted a drive in Shibbari area of Khulna city in the evening to rescue Farhad Mazhar.