9 aspirant migrants threatened to be killed if families don’t pay ransom

A gang of human traffickers have threatened nine Bangladeshi immigration aspirants that they will be killed and their bodies will be floated in the Mediterranean Sea, if they fail to pay Tk8.5 lakh per person by next Monday.

The traffickers held them hostage last Wednesday on the sea and demanded ransom. The nine aspirant migrants had left for Italy via the Mediterranean from the coast of Libya. Some of the hostages have contacted their families.

The identities of four, out of the nine, hostages have been found. They are Md Sajanur Rahman, 35, son of Abdul Mukit Khan, a retired primary teacher of Paschimbagh village in Ajmiriganj upazila of Habiganj; Md Afzal, son of Sajlu Miah of the same village; Md Nasir Mia, 20, son of Sekul Miah; and Ujjal, 28, son of late Safar Ali of Noabad area of ​​Habiganj city. The names and addresses of the others could not be immediately ascertained.

Md Achhiur Rahman, brother of hostage Sajanur and also a primary school teacher, told The Business Standard, "Sajanur left home in February last year to go to Italy. He reached Benghazi in Libya through a broker named Mortuza of Moulvibazar. Later, Mortuza sold Sajanur to another broker named Chabu Mia. Sajanur was detained by the Libyan coast guards and was freed after paying Tk3 lakh."

"Another broker Taimur Mia later took charge of sending him to Italy. Taimur's house is in Imambari village at Nabiganj upazila in Habiganj. His family members live at Noabad area of Habiganj city at present. Taimur is currently in Tripoli in Libya," he added.

Achhiur Rahman said, "Sajanur is the father of a five-month old daughter. He went abroad to meet the family's crisis, although we did not agree. Now, all of my family members are crying after getting the threat of the broker. So far, the brokers have taken away Tk11.80 lakh at different times."

"On the one hand, I am worried about my brother's life, and on the other, I am thinking about how to fulfil the demand of the brokers who are torturing my brother detaining him in a boat in the Mediterranean," he added.

Meanwhile, the gang has been demanding Tk8.5 lakh from the family of each hostage since last Wednesday. Otherwise, they are threatening to kill them and throw the bodies into the Mediterranean.

Sekul Mia, father of another hostage Nasir Mia, said, "I earn my livelihood by boating. I have already sold the land and paid Tk9 lakh to broker Taimur. Now, the brokers are threatening that they will kill my son if I do not pay Tk8.5 lakh more."

"The brokers are torturing my son a lot. Please save my son, he is the eldest of my two sons," he added.

The financial condition of the families of the hostages is very deplorable. They say they do not have cash in their hands.

They claimed that their relatives are being held by Bangladeshi brokers and Taimur Mia of Habiganj is their leader.

When the family members of the hostages contacted the wife of Taimur, she said that she did not know his whereabouts. She has not had contact with Taimur for several days.