Bandarban, Feb 17, (V7N) - Twenty-six workers have been abducted by armed hill militants from five rubber plantations in Lama, Bandarban. The workers were taken from the remote Murungjiri area of Fasiakhali at around 1:30 AM on Sunday. This information was confirmed by the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Lama Police Station, Shahadat Hossain.

The names of 20 workers have been confirmed. They are as follows: Mohammad Faruk (26), Mohammad Ayub Ali (26), Mohammad Siddique (40), Mohammad Abdul Khalek (20), Abdul Majed (17), Monirul Islam (30), Ziaur Rahman (45), Mohammad Mobarak (25), Mohammad Harul (30), Syed Nur (28), Ramiz Uddin (30), Mohammad Kaysar (38), Mohammad Monir Hossain (35), Mohammad Imran (17), Manjur (30), Afsar Ali (25), Mohammad Khairul Amin (30), Abu Bakkar (29), Abdur Razzak (33), and Mohammad Mobin (25). All of them are residents of Ramu and Eidgah in Cox’s Bazar, and Nakshyongchhari in Bandarban. The identities of the remaining 6 workers are still unknown.

Local sources report that an armed militant group has been engaged in extortion and abductions in the areas of Sorae, Gojalia, Lama Sadar Union, and Fasiakhali Union for the past two to two and a half months. In line with this, on Sunday night, 26 workers were abducted at gunpoint from the rubber plantations.

One of the plantation owners, Mohammad Shahjahan, stated that the militants took 12 workers from his plantation. A few days ago, they had demanded 6 lakh taka as extortion money from him. After he refused to pay, the militants abducted his workers. After the abduction, the militants have demanded a ransom of 6 lakh taka from him. It is also reported that they have demanded ransom from the remaining workers.

Member of Fasiakhali Union Parishad, Mongmegya Marma, said that the abduction has created panic among other workers and the local community.

OC Shahadat Hossain mentioned that upon receiving the news of the abduction, the army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and police immediately launched an operation. However, due to the remote mountainous location, militants are able to carry out abductions with relative ease.

END/MMR/SMA/