PBI arrests 8 in Bangladesh for involvement in torture, abduction of youth in Iraq

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has arrested eight individuals for their involvement in the alleged torture and abduction of a youth expatriate in Iraq, a case that was reported by his family nearly two years ago.

The arrested individuals are family members, residing in Bangladesh, of those persons implicated in the crime in Iraq. Their arrests were facilitated by tracking money withdrawals through mobile financial services.

The arrestees are Ali Hossain, 49, Md Shamim, 25, Shirin Sultana, 35, Mohammad Gharami, 51, Rabiul Ghramai, 24, Shahida Begum, 52, Shahnaz Akter Lipi, 38, and Md Akbar Sarder, 55.

PBI conducted these arrests through multiple operations in Barishal, Narayanganj, Khulna, Magura, Munshiganj, and Gazipur on various dates in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

As per the PBI, the victim Moslem Molla, a 30-year-old from Dhaka's Nawabganj upazila, ventured to Iraq in 2016 for employment purposes. In 2021, several suspects, including Md Selim Mia and Shamim, abducted him along with others, bringing him to a concealed location in Iraq under the guise of a more lucrative job offer.

Subsequently, they subjected Moslem to cruel "medieval-style" torture and contacted his family through Imo video call. They demanded Tk7 lakh as ransom, threatening Moslem's life if their demand was not met, PBI investigation reveals.

After witnessing the distressing video of the brutal torture during video calls, Moslem's mother, Khateza Begum, deposited Tk6 lakh into 12 separate mobile financial accounts through 26 distinct transactions. This series of transactions occurred between 28 January 2021 and 2 February 2021, said PBI Dhaka District Special Superintendent Kudrat-e Khuda.

However, despite receiving the ransom, the abductors did not release Moslem. Consequently, Khateza Begum lodged a formal complaint with the Nawabganj Police Station on 1 March 2021. Following this, the police headquarters directed the PBI to conduct an inquiry into the matter, he added.

He revealed that the victim had encountered the accused Selim Mia on 23 January 2021 while in Iraq. Under the guise of offering a lucrative employment opportunity, Selim deceived the victim and subsequently handed him over to other implicated individuals – Anwar, Shahnewaz, Ruhul Amin, Monir, Hasibur, and Sabbir.

After obtaining around $2,000 and an iPhone from the victim, the accused confined Moslem in a sealed room and initiated a campaign of brutal torture, said the PBI officer.

Kudrat-e Khuda further said, "The accused individuals were in Iraq, while their family members in Bangladesh collected the ransom from various mobile financial service (MFS) agent shops and their personal MFS accounts."

Out of the total of eight arrested individuals in the case, six have admitted their involvement in the crime and confirmed receiving the ransom, he said.

"Shahnewaz is the kingpin of the racket, who is from Khulna's Dumuria. PBI also identified some others involved in the crime including Anwar from Gazipur, Monir, Ruhul Amin from Barisal, Sabbir from Munshiganj, Hasibur of Magura and Sohag of Narayanganj," said Kudrat-e Khuda.