Ehsan, son of Hajji Nurul Kabir from Ward 2 of West Puichhari Union, had returned to Bangladesh after working in South Africa for 12 years to set up his hardware venture.

According to eyewitnesses and local residents, four men dressed in black attire and wearing face masks arrived at the market at approximately 8:00 pm on Saturday. Two of the men entered the shop, slapped handcuffs on Ehsan, and forcibly escorted him outside, while their two accomplices stood guard. Onlookers noted that the group wore uniforms bearing counterfeit insignia resembling the Special Response Battalion (SRB).

The abductors initially forced the businessman into a CNG-driven auto-rickshaw, travelling from Naporah to Toitong Hajibazar in Pekua upazila, Cox’s Bazar. From there, the gang switched to a second auto-rickshaw, proceeding towards the Baraitoli New Rasta crossing in Chakaria.

Speaking to reporters, Ehsan’s cousin, Jasim Uddin, stated that the family immediately contacted official law enforcement agencies, only to learn that no state authority had authorised or executed such an operation. He added that the family remains unaware of the motives behind the abduction, as the victim had no known enmities, and urged local administration to secure his safe return.

Banshkhali Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Rabiul Huq confirmed that officers detained a suspect, identified as 42-year-old Nezam Uddin, also known as Rezu, from Pekua, for questioning in connection with the case. Multiple police teams have been deployed to trace the victim’s whereabouts and identify the perpetrators.

Addressing the incident, Assistant Director (Media) of RAB-7 Chattogram, ARM Muzaffar Hossain, clarified that the individuals who carried out the abduction were impostors using fake SRB credentials. He added that elite police units have launched a shadow investigation to uncover the facts surrounding the kidnapping and rescue the businessman.