No trace of 9 Teknaf abductees yet, police continue search

The whereabouts of nine individuals abducted from Teknaf's Baharchara area on Monday night and Tuesday morning remain unknown. Police have confirmed that operations are ongoing to locate and rescue them.

In a separate incident 18 individuals were abducted and later rescued from the same area.

According to police and local sources, the latest abductions happened on yesterday morning (31 December) when armed assailants stopped two CNG-run auto-rickshaws on the Whykong-Baharchara Shamlapur road and abducted eight people, including the drivers.

The identities of the abductees have yet to be confirmed. Md Abdur Rahim, a transport lineman in Teknaf, said the incident occurred around 8am.

And the night before (30 December), Jasim Uddin, a shopkeeper in Baharchara union, was taken at gunpoint from his shop near Dakshin Boro Deil Government Primary School.

The abductors reportedly fired 15–20 rounds in the air before retreating into the hills. No ransom call has been made, leaving his family in a state of fear.

Inspector Shobhan Kumar Saha of the Baharchara Police Investigation Centre said law enforcement is conducting operations in the hills to rescue the victims.

Earlier on Monday (30 December), 18 other individuals were abducted while planting saplings on forest department land in the Jadimura hills of Hnila union.

The abductors later contacted the victims' families demanding ransom. The hostages were rescued yesterday afternoon during a joint operation, during which two members of the abduction gang were arrested.

Forest Department Range Officer Abdur Rashid confirmed filing a case against 25–30 unidentified suspects at Teknaf Police Station on Tuesday night.

Cox's Bazar District Police records indicate that Teknaf has witnessed 181 abduction cases in just over a year, highlighting the severity of the security situation in the area.