Tortured in Libya: Dreams for a better future now a nightmare
A good job with a handsome salary in Libya -- this is what was promised to Md Romel Mia around two months ago by a migrant trafficking gang.
To facilitate his journey to Libya, the gang asked for Tk 2 lakh initially. The 35-year-old fortune seeker from Kishoreganj's Katiadi, who used to run a small butcher shop in the locality, somehow managed the amount and gave it to a member of the gang, Rahmat Ullah, on March 6.
When Romel was informed that he would fly to Libya soon, the family started dreaming of better days, hoping that the impoverished family would finally have some financial comfort, said Romel's cousin Abdul Qaium.
On March 14, Romel flew from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, from where the traffickers took him to Dubai on a tourist visa, then to Rome, and finally to Libya via Cairo, Qaium added.
Almost every day they tortured Romel and made us watch the scenes through video calls. In those videos, standing on both sides of Romel, two guys keep hitting him using hockey sticks and whips, while Romel keeps screaming.
But it took only a few days to get the family's hopes shattered.
"Rahmat called me, saying that Romel has been taken hostage in Libya and he will not be released if we do not provide them more money," Quayum told The Daily Star.
Fearing the gang may harm Romel, his poor family gathered another Tk 2 lakh and deposited the money in the accounts of Rahmat, who is from Bagriat village in Narsingdi's Raipura.
But after getting the money, Rahmat stopped communicating with Romel's family.
After a few days, Rahmat started to make video calls to Romel's parents and cousin Quayum, showing them how they were torturing Romel in Libya. They demanded Tk 12 lakh more as ransom.
"Almost every day they tortured Romel and made us watch the scenes through video calls. In those videos, standing on both sides of Romel, two guys keep hitting him using hockey sticks and whips, while Romel keeps screaming," Quayum said.
Quayum filed a case over the incident with Raipura Police Station on April 6, accusing four named and four to five other unnamed people.
Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) in Narsingdi is investigating the case.
Md Enayet Hossain Mannan, SP of Narsingdi PBI, said they are intensively investigating the case and trying to rescue the victim. He, however, said they are facing some problems in investigating the case as the traffickers who kidnapped Romel are in Libya.
Mannan said the traffickers had already pulled off four fingernails from Rome's hands and feet.
The kidnappers also called Romel's wife and threatened to cut Romel's hand off if they don't get the ransom. They even at times tell her that Romel is already dead due to torture.
In the case statement, Quayum mentioned that he, along with several others, went to Rahmat's house in Narsingdi's Raipura to discuss the matter.
But Rahmat's brothers Shukkur Ali, 28, Mobarak, 32, wife Fatema, 30, father Bachhu Mistri, and four to five other unknown people tried to attack them with sharp weapons and sticks.
Quayum said he got introduced to Rahmat through Rahmat's younger brother Md Arafat, who lived with Quayum in Libya nine years back.