There was an incident of kidnapping a young Libyan expatriate and extorting Tk 10 lakh from his family by showing him a video of torture. Still, the District Detective Police (DB) has arrested two members of the kidnapping gang for demanding another 15 lakh rupees without releasing them.
Pabna Superintendent of Police (SP) Akbar Ali Munsi confirmed the matter on Friday (June 7) afternoon. Earlier on Thursday (June 6) raids were conducted in different parts of the country and they were arrested.
The arrested are Habibur Rahman Sumon (30) son of deceased Pandit Ali Bepari of southwest Dighaldi area of Matlab South Upazila of Chandpur and Rabiul Awal Ravi (28) son of Delwar Hossain Gazi of the same area.
Kidnapping victim Masud (40) is the son of Idris Ali of Ramanandpur village of Pabna Sadar upazila.
According to Molina Khatun, the mother of the abductee, the Superintendent of Police said that Masood had been running a tailor shop in Khalifa City, Libya for the past four years. While talking to family members on May 13, he said that he will talk later. He didn’t speak after that. The next morning an IMO number called Masood’s wife’s IMO number informing her that her husband had been kidnapped. If you want to return him alive, you will have to pay a ransom of 10 lakhs. They threatened to kill Masud if he did not pay.
Later, Masud’s father sent Tk 10 lakh to the kidnappers through loans. On May 20, they called again and demanded another Tk 15 lakh ransom and showed the video of beating Masud. Masud was seen crying. Masud’s mother filed a case at Pabna Sadar police station. Later, the police arrested two people in raids in different parts of the country.
The Superintendent of Police said that the arrested Habibur Rahman and Abdur Rahman, the abducted expatriate, used to work together in a company in Gazipur. Later, Abdur Rahman left his job and went to Libya. Going there, he along with his brother kidnapped Bangladeshi expatriates and started taking ransom money in the same way. The abductors used to exchange money through Sumon and Ravi, who were sent by the families of the abductees.
Superintendent of Police Akbar Ali Munsi said that the details of the kidnappers in Libya have been found, but their full identities cannot be revealed for the sake of investigation. Efforts are underway to rescue the abducted.
Aminul Islam Jewell/SR/ASM
