Four youths from Anwara Upazila in Chattogram migrated to Libya falling into the traps of the brokers and are now being tortured and asked for ransom of Tk 10 lakh each by sending the torture videos to the family members.

The youths were identified as Md Wasim, 22, Borhan Uddin, 19, Jabedur Rahim, 19, and Naim Uddin, 20. They all hailed from the village Raipur under the upazila, reports The Daily Sun. 

Sources said the youths migrated to Libya last month allegedly through a broker named Zahirul Islam, son of Mohammad Hossain of the same village in exchange of Tk 4.30 lakh for each.

They were supposedly offered job in a Libyan hospital and left the country on February 16.

Borhan Uddin's brother Sahab Uddin alleged that Zahirul took the youths to Dubai first on a tourist visa.

Then they were handed over to another person named Mizan who took them to Egypt and handed them over to another broker, he said.

He also claimed that Zahirul is the main culprit in this broker syndicate and he must be interrogated first to disclose the matter.

Jabedur’s father Abdur Rahim said that all the four youths including his son were brutally tortured.

“The brokers sent video footage and audio messages of torture on Tuesday, where they demanded a ransom of Tk 10 lakh per person. They also gave an account number of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited Chakaria branch for payment,” he claimed.

“They will kill him if the ransom was not paid quickly. I don't have that much money either. For this reason, we four families informed the UNO about the matter,” Abdur Rahim said.

Contacted, Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sohel Ahmed of Anwar police station said to the Daily Sun that he had heard the matter and discussed it with the higher officials.

However, as the abductees are still in Libya, they are not sure about the next course of action, he said.

UNO Md Ishtiaque Ymon told the media that he received a complaint in this connection from the relatives of the hostages.

 Necessary measures will be taken after talking to the concerned authorities, he added.

Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque