Day Labourer Abducted After Being Mistaken for a Wealthy Man

A day labourer from Noakhali endured a terrifying ordeal after being abducted by criminals who wrongly assumed he was a man of substantial means. The abductors demanded a ransom of 350,000 taka, unaware that their victim, Nazim Uddin, struggled even to earn enough to support his family. Their plan ultimately collapsed when his family alerted the authorities and an operation by RAB led to the rescue of the victim and the arrest of two suspects.

The abduction took place on Sunday night. Nazim, who works as a daily wage earner, had travelled to the Maizbhandar Darbar Sharif in Fatikchhari after a day spent searching for work in Chattogram city. At around 12:30 a.m., he boarded a CNG-run autorickshaw to return to his rented home in the Mohammadnagar area under Bayezid Bostami Police Station. Apart from him, no other passenger was in the vehicle.

When the autorickshaw reached Sarkar Hat Bazar in Hathazari, a group led by Azam and his accomplices forced Nazim out of the vehicle. He was dragged to a nearby room and subjected to physical abuse. The abductors recorded images and videos of the torture and sent them to Nazim’s wife via the messaging app IMO, demanding 350,000 taka for his release. According to Nazim, the kidnappers initially demanded 500,000 taka, but reduced the amount after his desperate pleas.

Nazim later told journalists, “As soon as they dragged me out of the autorickshaw, I shouted for help. They accused me of being a vehicle thief and beat me mercilessly. I kept telling them I am a day labourer, but they refused to believe me. They thought I was a businessman with money.”

Unable to pay the ransom, Nazim’s wife filed a general diary (GD) with Bayezid Bostami Police Station. RAB-7 began investigating immediately after receiving the information. Tracking the movement of the abductors, RAB officers carried out a targeted operation on Thursday in the Nazu Mia Hat area of Hathazari.

According to RAB, the kidnappers were attempting to shift their victim to another location when the operation took place. Nazim was rescued from inside a vehicle, and two suspects—identified as Md Azam and Abu Sama—were arrested on the spot. Additional accomplices fled and are currently being pursued.

AR M Mozzafar Hossain, Assistant Director (Media) of RAB-7 Chattogram, confirmed the details, stating, “We rescued the abducted man while he was being transferred to a different location. Two individuals directly involved in the crime have been detained, and efforts to arrest the remaining suspects are ongoing.”

After the rescue, the detainees were handed over to Hathazari Police Station for further legal action. Meanwhile, Nazim has returned to his family, still traumatised by the incident but grateful to be alive.

Local residents have expressed concern over growing incidents of ransom-based abductions, particularly targeting low-income workers who travel late at night. Authorities have urged the public to remain alert and to report suspicious activity immediately.