Dhaka, July 09 (V7N) — A group of 162 Bangladeshi nationals, who had been trapped and tortured by human trafficking mafias in Libya, have returned home. The flight carrying the victims landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at around 7:30 am on Wednesday morning.

Upon arrival, officials from the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) interviewed the returnees to gather information on their ordeal.

The victims stated that they had initially traveled to Libya in search of employment. However, when they failed to find work, local brokers—in collaboration with Bangladeshi agents—promised to send them to Europe. Instead, they were abducted, held in captivity, and subjected to severe physical and psychological abuse in various parts of Libya.

They also alleged that the traffickers demanded large sums of money from their families in Bangladesh in exchange for their release. The victims further claimed that Bangladeshi brokers were actively involved in the network, conspiring with Libyan locals to carry out the detentions and torture.

Law enforcement authorities are expected to launch an investigation based on the testimonies of the victims to identify and arrest the traffickers involved in the transnational human trafficking ring.

END/RH/AJ