In a distressing incident, four Bangladeshi youths have been reported kidnapped in Libya, with their captors demanding a ransom of Tk10 lakh (approximately $11,750 USD) per individual. The families of the victims received videos showing them being tortured, as reported by TBS news.
Bangladeshi police, represented by officer Sohail Ahmed, acknowledged the report of the kidnapping, stating that actions will be taken in consultation with authorities in Libya. The kidnapped individuals have been identified as Wasim (22), Borhan Uddin (19), Jabedur Rahim (19), and Naeem Uddin (20).
Md Nasir Uddin, uncle to one of the abductees, disclosed that the kidnappers had demanded Tk4 lakh (approximately $4,700 USD) for the release of all four by a specified deadline, using platforms such as Imo and WhatsApp to communicate their demands and send distressing evidence of the youths’ torture.
The families of the victims have been plunged into despair, with Abdur Rahim, father of Jabedur Rahim, expressing the extreme financial strain of meeting the ransom demands after already having paid significant sums for what was promised to be overseas employment opportunities in Libya.
The complaint lodged by the families revealed that the youths were offered jobs in a Libyan hospital for a fee of Tk430,000 (approximately $5,050 USD) each, facilitated by a local named Zahirul Islam. Initially taken to Dubai on tourist visas, their journey led them to Libya via Egypt, where they were sold to a broker and eventually kidnapped.
The kidnappers’ ultimatum demanded the ransom by Wednesday 3:00 pm, threatening the lives of the young men if their demands were not met, casting the families into a race against time to secure their loved ones’ safety.
