Over 50 involved in trafficking racket
More than 50 people were involved in the trafficking of the 26 Bangladeshis killed by kidnappers in Libya last week, say investigators.
"We have so far got the names of over 50 people form the families of the victims... The number may go up…," said an official of the Criminal Investigation Department, seeking anonymity.
CID Sub-inspector AHM Rashed Fazal on Tuesday filed a case with Paltan Police Station against 38 named and 35 unnamed people over the trafficking of the 26 victims to Libya. The CID is now investigating the case.
Law enforcers have so far arrested eight people from the capital, Kishoreganj and Faridpur over their involvement in it.
Meanwhile, the prime suspect in the murder of the 26 Bangladeshis was killed in a drone strike in northern Libya on Tuesday, according to a tweet by The Libya Observer.
"Warlord Haftar's militiaman Khaled Al-Mishai was killed in a drone strike by Libyan air force south of Gharyan on Tuesday. Al-Mishai is allegedly responsible for the murder of 26 Bangladeshis and four African migrants in Mizda town," said the tweet posted on Tuesday.
The Libya Observer, an English and Arabic online daily newspaper based in Tripoli, however, did not run any news report on the incident in English version.
On May 28, thirty-eight Bangladeshis and some Africans were held hostage by Libyan kidnappers who demanded large sums of money. The abductees had earlier paid them up to $10,000 each.
There were heated negotiations between the two sides.
At one stage, one of the kidnappers was killed by an African. In retaliation, the other members of the gang indiscriminately fired shots at the abductees, leaving 26 Bangladeshis dead.
ARRESTS
The CID arrested three of the accused in the case from the capital and Kishoreganj on Tuesday.
They are Sheikh Mahbubur Rahamn, chairman of a recruiting agency; his brother Sheikh Shahidur Rahman, managing director of the agency; and Baharul Islam Bachchu, a broker. They were placed on four-day remand, said a CID official seeking anonymity.
The official said they also got the names of some Bangladeshis who are involved with human trafficking gangs in Libya. They are now staying in the North African country.
Of them, three are from Kishoreganj's Bhairab Upazila, added the official.
Early yesterday, a team of Rab-14 arrested three more accused in the case from Bhairab upazila. They are Helal Mia alias Helu, 45, Khabir Uddin, 42, and Shahid Mia, 61.
Rab sources said six of the 26 victims were from Bhairab upazila. They are Mohammad Ali, 25; Mahbubur Rahman, 21; Rajan Chandra Das, 27; Sakib Mia, 18; Saddam Hossain Akash, 25; and Shakil, 20.
Ali and Mahbubur had given two of the arrestees -- Helal and Khabir -- Tk 3 lakh each to go to Libya, Roffiuddin Muhammad Jobaer, company commander of Rab-14, told The Daily Star.
In Faridpur, a man was arrested in connection with the trafficking and killing of the 26 Bangladeshis.
Police arrested Enamul Haque Gazi from Muksudpur upazila's Gohala Bazar area after the father of one of the victims filed a murder case with Saltha Police Station against Enamul and five others.
Kabir Sheikh, the father of Kamrul Sheikh killed in Libya on May 28, filed the case, said Sub-inspector Mominur Rahman of the police station.
During primary interrogation, Enamul admitted that he took money from Kamrul for sending him to Libya, added the police officer.
Earlier on May 29, a Rab team arrested Kamal Uddin alias Haji Kamal, 55, an alleged leader of a human trafficking gang, from the capital's Shahjadpur area. He was later made an accused in the human trafficking case.
Our Mymensingh and Faridpur correspondents contributed to this report
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