Saturday, 22 February, 2025
A group of 20 labourers has been abducted in Bandarban’s Lama Upazila, just 15 days after a similar incident in the region, police say.
The latest abduction took place late on Saturday night in the Goyalmara Murungjiri rubber plantation area under Ward No 1 of the Fasiakhali union council, according to Lama Police Station chief Md Shahadat Hossain.
The abducted individuals have been identified as: Md Faruk, 26, Md Ayub Ali, 26, Md Siddiq, 40, Md Abdul Khalek, 20, Abdul Majed, 17, Monirul Islam, 30, Ziaur Rahman, 45, Md Mobarak, 25, Md Harul, 30, Syed Nur, 28, Ramiz Uddin, 30, Md Kaysar, 38, Md Monir Hossain, 35, Md Imran, 17, Manjur, 30, Afsar Ali, 25, Md Khairul Amin, 30, Abu Bakker, 29, Abdur Razzak, 33, and Md Mobin, 25.
All of them are residents of Cox’s Bazar’s Ramu and Eidgah areas, as well as the Naikhongchhari Upazila of Bandarban.
Fasiakhali union council member Mongme Marma said the abduction site is near the border between Lama and Naikhongchhari Upazilas, and there is some confusion over the exact number of those taken.
Another local leader, UP member Ziabul Haque, said the abduction might be linked to extortion demands.
“The armed group may have taken them over unpaid extortion money. Incidents of abductions and extortion have significantly increased in Lama and surrounding areas in recent months,” he said.
Lama Police Station chief Shahadat confirmed the incident, saying: “Armed men kidnapped the workers from the Goyalmara Murungjiri rubber plantation. A joint security operation is underway to rescue them.”
On Jan 14 and Feb 1, a similar group of armed men kidnapped 14 workers from Sarai Union in Lama in two separate incidents. They were later released following a security operation.
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A group of 20 labourers has been abducted in Bandarban’s Lama Upazila, just 15 days after a similar incident in the region, police say.
The latest abduction took place late on Saturday night in the Goyalmara Murungjiri rubber plantation area under Ward No 1 of the Fasiakhali union council, according to Lama Police Station chief Md Shahadat Hossain.
The abducted individuals have been identified as: Md Faruk, 26, Md Ayub Ali, 26, Md Siddiq, 40, Md Abdul Khalek, 20, Abdul Majed, 17, Monirul Islam, 30, Ziaur Rahman, 45, Md Mobarak, 25, Md Harul, 30, Syed Nur, 28, Ramiz Uddin, 30, Md Kaysar, 38, Md Monir Hossain, 35, Md Imran, 17, Manjur, 30, Afsar Ali, 25, Md Khairul Amin, 30, Abu Bakker, 29, Abdur Razzak, 33, and Md Mobin, 25.
All of them are residents of Cox’s Bazar’s Ramu and Eidgah areas, as well as the Naikhongchhari Upazila of Bandarban.
Fasiakhali union council member Mongme Marma said the abduction site is near the border between Lama and Naikhongchhari Upazilas, and there is some confusion over the exact number of those taken.
Another local leader, UP member Ziabul Haque, said the abduction might be linked to extortion demands.
“The armed group may have taken them over unpaid extortion money. Incidents of abductions and extortion have significantly increased in Lama and surrounding areas in recent months,” he said.
Lama Police Station chief Shahadat confirmed the incident, saying: “Armed men kidnapped the workers from the Goyalmara Murungjiri rubber plantation. A joint security operation is underway to rescue them.”
On Jan 14 and Feb 1, a similar group of armed men kidnapped 14 workers from Sarai Union in Lama in two separate incidents. They were later released following a security operation.
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