3 Bangladeshis held hostage in Libya
Three Bangladeshi youths from Chattogram's Anwara upazila have been held hostage by suspected traffickers at an unknown place in Libya for about six days.
The criminals, mostly Bangladeshis, tortured the three and sent video and audio clips to their families at home demanding Tk 10 lakh ransom for each, said the victims' family members.
The victims -- Md Jabedur Rahim, 19, Naim Uddin, 20 and Borhan Uddin, 19 -- were madrasa students. Their friend Md Wasim, 21, was also taken hostage, but he managed to escape from the hostage-takers on Wednesday.
According to victims' families, the four friends from Anwara's Raipur union went to Libya seeking a better future abroad. One Jahirul Islam arranged their trip to the North African country on tourist visas last month. An expatriate in Libya, Jahirul hails from ward-8 of Raipur union.
The families lodged a written complaint with Anwara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Ishtiaque Ymon on Tuesday accusing Jahirul.
The UNO said, "Borhan's brother filed a written complaint seeking support from the administration to rescue the three in Libya. We have already informed the local police and the authorities concerned to rescue them."
Md Salauddin, elder brother of Borhan, said Jahirul arranged the trips of the four to Libya at a cost of Tk 4.20 lakh per person.
"The four were supposed to be given jobs at Jahirul's shop and some other businesses in Libya. The four left Bangladesh for Libya on February 16. They were flown to Libya via Oman, Dubai of the UAE and Egypt.
"Jahirul assured the families that the youths will be paid a month salary of Tk 20,000 to Tk 40,000 each. After reaching Libya, my brother informed us that they were doing well and that they were provided food and shelter. Later, Jahirul handed them to one Mizanur Rahman saying that the latter would arrange their jobs at medical centres," said Salauddin.
He said they could not contact Borhan since March 23. Asked about their whereabouts, Jahirul told Salauddin's family that they landed new jobs and became busy.
"In fact, Mizanur sold the four to a gang of human traffickers," he alleged.
Salauddin said they received calls over WhatsApp and IMO from unidentified people on Wednesday. A few Bangladeshis, who spoke Sylheti and Noakhali dialect, demanded ransom showing videos of torturing the youths.
"The traffickers gave the number of a bank account at Islami Bank's Chakaria branch in Cox's Bazar's and asked us to deposit ransom money in that account immediately. We contacted Jahirul but he said he didn't know anything about hostage-taking," he said.
The criminals threatened that the victims would be killed if the ransom was not paid, he alleged.
Wasim's uncle Md Nasir Uddin yesterday said the youth escaped from the hostage-takers on Wednesday and took shelter in Jahirul's house.
"We received a call from Wasim on Wednesday. He told us that he was out of danger. He managed to flee from the grip of traffickers," he told The Daily Star.
All the criminals who tortured the youths are Bangladeshis, Nasir said quoting Wasim.