A schoolboy abducted in the capital on Sunday was rescued within an hour following direct intervention by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who ordered law enforcement agencies to act immediately, officials said.

Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon said the boy’s father, an employee of the Secretariat, rushed to the Prime Minister’s Office in tears after learning about the abduction.

He managed to meet the Prime Minister in person and informed him of the incident.

Upon hearing the matter, the Prime Minister immediately called the police officials concerned and instructed them to rescue the boy without delay.

“Within an hour, police rescued the boy from an under-construction building in Khilgaon,” Rumon said.

The boy, a ninth-grade student of National Laboratory Ideal School in Khilgaon, was abducted around 2:30 pm after leaving school.

According to police, four to five youths intercepted him and took him to a seven-storey under-construction building in Jorapukur area of Khilgaon.

He was allegedly beaten. The abductors later phoned his father, demanding Tk 50,000 as ransom and threatening to kill the boy if the money was not paid.

Following the Prime Minister’s directive, Deputy Police Commissioner of Ramna Division Masud Alam contacted the abductors using the number from which the ransom demand was made and assured them that the money would be sent.

The abductors tried to delay and bargain, but by then police had traced their location.

Later, police conducted a raid at the under-construction building in Khilgaon and rescued the boy.

Sensing the presence of law enforcers, the abductors fled the scene.

Police said efforts are underway to identify and arrest those involved in the abduction.

The boy was later reunited with his family