A family in Nabiganj upazila of Habiganj has alleged that a human trafficking network lured a young man to Libya with false promises of free travel to Italy before abducting him, torturing him, and extorting large sums of money from his relatives.
The victim, Raihan Chowdhury (30), son of Abu Taher Chowdhury from Betapur village in Aushkandi union, has reportedly been missing for the past 42 days, according to his family.
According to the family and details stated in the case filed with police, Raihan was approached by a broker group led by an individual identified as Shamim, who reportedly promised him a free visa to Italy based on prior acquaintance. Trusting the offer, Raihan began preparations to travel abroad, and his family submitted the necessary documents to the alleged brokers.
The accused later informed the family that visa processing had been completed and collected nearly Tk12 lakh in several instalments. After taking the money, they allegedly arranged for Raihan to travel first to Saudi Arabia on an Umrah visa. From there, he was reportedly moved to Egypt and subsequently taken to Libya.
Instead of being sent onward to Italy, Raihan was allegedly detained in Libya, where he was subjected to both physical and psychological abuse.
The family alleges that the traffickers later contacted them by telephone and demanded an additional Tk15 lakh for his release. In response, relatives reportedly sold land and gold ornaments to raise the money.
During this period, the family claims they were shown video calls depicting Raihan being tortured. They were also allegedly informed that one of his fingers had been severed.
According to the family, a total of Tk27.9 lakh has already been paid to the traffickers, yet Raihan has not been released. Instead, the alleged captors are now demanding a further Tk25 lakh and have reportedly threatened to cut off his wrist if the money is not paid.
Financial Details of the Alleged Extortion
| Item |
Amount |
| Initial payments for visa and travel processing |
Tk12 lakh |
| Additional ransom payment |
Tk15 lakh |
| Total reportedly paid |
Tk27.9 lakh |
| Additional amount currently demanded |
Tk25 lakh |
Raihan’s father, Abu Taher Chowdhury, filed a case under Bangladesh’s anti-human trafficking law at Nabiganj Police Station on 15 February this year.
He stated: “After filing the case, I have fallen into greater danger. They showed my son being tortured on video call and said one of his fingers had been cut off. He has now been missing for 42 days. I am being pressured to withdraw the case.”
Officer-in-Charge Md Monayem Mia of Nabiganj Police Station said the matter has been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police for further investigation.
According to police, the CID is currently handling the inquiry. No official update on Raihan’s location or rescue has yet been made public.
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