Maksuda Hossain stated that the driver had held her hostage to demand money. Describing the incident, she said that at around 8:15am, she left her Dhanmondi residence in the car, heading to her workplace at the Planning Commission in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. However, driver Abdul Awal, instead of taking her to the Commission, drove towards Bijoy Sarani after passing in front of the China-Bangladesh Friendship Conference Centre.
When she asked why he was taking a different route, the driver did not respond. He continued driving through Mohakhali and Banani towards the Airport Road. Maksuda Hossain informed a colleague that the driver was taking her in the wrong direction.
At one point, when Maksuda Hossain tried to call the national emergency number 999, the driver forcibly snatched the phone from her and switched it off. He then locked the car doors and drove through Uttara, Diabari, the Buriganga embankment, and towards Hemayetpur in Savar. Later, the car was turned around, passing through Darus Salam and other parts of Dhaka, before finally arriving in front of the Planning Commission around noon.