Talking to the press, the home minister said he had come to know that Jamal was alive.

"We don't want to say anything in detail because that would alert the culprits," he added.

Asked to comment on the assurance by the inspector general of police (IGP) on Saturday that Jamal would be rescued in 48 hours, the home minister said, "What the IG said was based on information his network had gathered."

No special instruction has reached Chittagong police even 24 hours after the IGP's assurance.

The assurance came at the first meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on home ministry held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police Shahidullah Khan told The Daily Star that he did not know of any such assurance and timeframe to rescue Jamal.

"I talk with the IGP every day, but he did not tell me anything in that line," the commissioner said. He however said that they were 'moving ahead with new strategies'.

Sources said police were yet to gear up the rescue operation.

Superintendent of Police Matiur Rahman said criminals' hideouts were raided just on assumption.

"But the exact hideout where Jamal has been held hostage could not be spotted as yet," he said, adding, "We are not aware of the IGP's assurance at all".

Some quarters accuse the police of having a covert link with the abductors.

Jamal's son Forhan Reza Chowdhury said, "I don't want to comment on the IGP's assurance as it is his personal view. We just want our father back."

Meanwhile, Officer-in-charge of Chandgaon Police Station Mesbahuddin has replaced Sub-inspector Sirajul Islam as investigation officer (IO) of the case.

Jamal, also a local BNP leader, was abducted from the port city's Chawkbazar area a month ago.