Jamal's wife Nazma Chowdhury was informed about the appointment yesterday evening. Earlier in the morning, she had returned home to Chittagong after failing to meet the PM.

On Saturday, Nazma travelled to Dhaka and met Home Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, requesting him to arrange an appointment for her with Khaleda so that she could tell her the names of people she believes abducted her husband.

"The home minister told us that a meeting with the prime minister may not be forthcoming due to her tight schedule but he nonetheless assured me of arranging an appointment with her as soon as possible," Nazma told The Daily Star on her return to Chittagong yesterday morning.

Meanwhile, acting on a tip-off that Jamal was being held hostage some 20 km from the city at Amuchia forest under Boalkhali upazila, a team from the Detective Branch of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) yesterday raided a suspected criminal hideout there but returned empty-handed, police said.

Police said efforts were on to arrest Abul Kasem, UP chairman of Fatikchhari -- the prime suspect -- as well as other suspects in the abduction of the business tycoon.

Sources said Abul Kasem has fled across the border and secretly visits his home at Fatikchhari.

Jamal, also a local leader of BNP, was kidnapped from the city's Chawkbazar area on July 24. His abductors have demanded a ransom of Tk 1 crore.

Jamal's family already gave Tk 25 lakh to police for his rescue but it remains a mystery as to what was done with the money.