Police in Bangladesh arrested a man on Friday for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and torture of a Bangladeshi youth, Shakil Mia, in Libya.
The man is accused of aiding in the abduction and torture of Shakil Mia, promising to facilitate his journey to Italy via Libya, according to Saltha Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Faizur Rahman.
Shakil Mia was reportedly kidnapped and tortured in Libya with the assistance of Md Shakil’s associates, as stated by the officer.
The arrest took place following a case filed under The Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act by the victim’s family.
Faizur mentioned, “the victim’s father filed a case against four individuals with Saltha Police Station on Thursday afternoon regarding his son’s torture in Libya. Promptly, on Friday morning, police conducted a raid and apprehended Md Shakil, the third accused in the case.”
He further informed that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining suspects. The case indicates that Shakil is part of a human trafficking network operating in the region.
Libya poses significant risks to Bangladeshis attempting to reach Europe via the Mediterranean Sea, with many falling victim to human trafficking annually.
Recently, four Bangladeshi youths were reportedly abducted in Libya, where the abductors demanded Tk10 lakh per person in ransom, sending videos of the victims being tortured to their families.
The victims identified are 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. This after he had already 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.
