A young Bangladeshi migrant worker aiming to reach Italy has been brutally murdered in Libya after his family paid 6,000,000 BDT (approximately £38,000) in ransom, only for human traffickers to demand an additional sum before executing him.
The victim, Sohag Munshi, was a painter from Majumdarkandi village in Rajoir upazila, Madaripur district. Although the killing reportedly took place on 24 July, the tragic news was confirmed by his family on Wednesday and widely reported on Thursday, 30 July.
Seeking better financial prospects, Sohag fell victim to a local human trafficking network operated by brokers Moyna Akhtar and Julhas Sardar. The family paid 2,200,000 BDT up front under an agreement to send him to Italy. Sohag left his home in September 2025 and was initially taken to Saudi Arabia before being moved to Tripoli, Libya, where he was held captive by an armed syndicate.
The traffickers subjected Sohag to severe physical abuse and sent video footage of the torture to his family in Bangladesh, extorting a further 3,800,000 BDT across multiple installments. Despite taking an additional 200,000 BDT under the pretext of repatriating him, the gang issued a fresh demand for 2,700,000 BDT on 23 July. When the family failed to meet the deadline the following morning, the captors reportedly shot Sohag dead and concealed his body.
Sohag’s grieving family and neighbours revealed that at least 11 other local youths remain hostage in Libya under the control of the same trafficking ring. Distraught relatives have called on the Bangladesh government to intervene immediately to repatriate Sohag’s remains and ensure maximum punishment for those involved.
Assistant Superintendent of Police in Madaripur, Bimal Chandra Barman, confirmed that the victim’s mother, Shahinur Begum, filed a formal case at Rajoir Police Station on Wednesday night. Law enforcement has already arrested the primary suspect, Julhas Sardar, and remanded him to custody while operations continue to track down other accomplices. Police noted that several ringleaders operating abroad present complex extradition challenges, while domestic operatives are actively evading arrest by frequently changing locations.
