Relatives of a Bangladeshi migrant worker being held hostage in Libya have allegedly abducted the eight-year-old son of Jafar Ali, an accused human trafficker in Mirpur upazila, Kushtia, after failing to find Jafar himself. The incident occurred at 8 a.m. Saturday at the trafficker’s home in Kalinathpur village, Chhatian union.
According to local sources, Jafar Ali of Kalinathpur village, Chhatian union, Mirpur upazila, is accused of sending people to Libya under the pretense of arranging onward passage to Italy.
Sources allege that members of Jafar’s network, once migrants arrive in Libya, hold them hostage and extort large sums from their families back home. According to these sources, members of the group recently extorted several lakh taka from the family of a man from Pultadanga village in Alamdanga upazila, Chuadanga, whom they had allegedly taken hostage in Libya.
Following this, family members of the hostage allegedly went to Jafar’s home and abducted his eight-year-old son.
Sources further allege that Jafar Ali, after sending migrants to Libya under the pretense of onward passage to Italy, is a key member of a network that extorts money by holding them hostage. He is alleged to have built his house in Kalinathpur with money obtained through this extortion.
Chhatian Union Chairman Kabir Hossain confirmed the abduction of the child at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. He said: “I’ve heard Jafar Ali sends people from Libya onward to Italy. Many families of people who have gone abroad come looking for him. He is also accused of holding people hostage in Libya after sending them there and extorting money from their families back home.”
He added: “I’ve heard that relatives of a migrant from Alamdanga being held hostage in Libya came and took away Jafar’s young son this morning.”
Asked about the matter, Mirpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Shahidul Islam said he was not aware of any child abduction.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report