Two abducted tourists, guide still traceless

Two tourists and their local guide, who were abducted in Bilaichhari upazila under Rangamati district on October 3, are yet to be rescued.

Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), a militant group of Myanmar, allegedly claimed to have abducted the three people and demanded Tk 50 lakh as ransom from Paching Mro, elder brother of abducted guide Mangsai Mro, 30, of Bandarban's Ruma upazila over phone yesterday.

“We contacted with one ALP commander for the second time over phone around 8:00am today [Wednesday]. Speaking Myanmar language, he demanded Tk 50 lakh as ransom for release of the three abductees,” Paching, also karbari (para chief) of remote Paching Karbari para of Ruma upazila, told this correspondent over phone.

“They (ALP) ensured us of the safety of the abductees who were forcibly taken to India border from Rangamati's Bilaichhari upazila on October 3,” he added.

Armed criminals abducted Abdullah Al Jubayer, 26, of Mirpur-2, Jaker Hossain Munna, 34, of Eastern Housing area of Dhaka, and their local guide Mangsai Mro, 30, when they left for remote Chetlang waterfall in Rangamati's Bilaichhari upazila.

Jubayer's cousin Nawat Ashe Khan said Jubayer recently completed MBA from Dhaka University while Munna is a chemical businessman.

Brig Gen Naqueeb Ahmed Chowdhury, chief of army in Bandarban, said their teams are conducting operations in remote areas to rescue the abductees.