A promise of construction work at a Rohingya camp brought 23-year-old mason Tarekul Islam from Chattogram’s Banshkhali to the hills of Teknaf. A free trip to Malaysia lured 21-year-old Nur Kamal from Feni. But instead of jobs or a journey abroad, both found themselves trapped in a remote hideout, guarded by armed men and subjected to torture.
They were among 57 people rescued from an alleged human trafficking hideout in Rangikhali hills of Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, during a joint forces operation on Thursday afternoon.
The victims, brought from different parts of the country with promises of work or overseas opportunities, were allegedly held captive for ransom. Some were also reportedly handed over to other traffickers in exchange for money.
Tarekul, a mason from Gondamara in Banshkhali, said he was looking for work when he met two Rohingya youths who offered him a job building a bridge at a Rohingya camp in Teknaf.
He said they took him through the Barodail area of Baharchhara Union to a hideout in the hills on November 2. He was held in a room with 55 to 60 others.
Although the captives occasionally received cooked meals, they were mostly fed bottle gourd and lentils, he said.
For Nur Kamal, the promise was different. He was told he could travel to Malaysia without paying anything upfront and settle the cost after reaching the country.
He left home on November 2 and arrived in Cox’s Bazar the following day. A man then took him to a makeshift shelter in the Teknaf hills and held him captive.
Speaking at Teknaf Police Station on Friday, Nur Kamal said 10 to 12 armed men guarded the hideout around the clock. Anyone who spoke against them was beaten, he alleged.
A man had introduced him to the offer through a WhatsApp group, where members were told they would have to pay only after reaching Malaysia. Believing it was a good opportunity, he had set out from home, he said.
Ransom demands, alleged sale of captives
The experience of SM Asaduzzaman, 50, from Saltha Upazila of Faridpur, began with another promise of work.
He said he met a man named Yamamul while visiting the Kutupalong Rohingya Camp. Later, Yamamul called him, offering him a job at the camp.
Asaduzzaman said he was taken away on October 29, stripped of his mobile phone and other belongings, and transported to the hills in a CNG-run auto-rickshaw. He was then handed over to traffickers for Tk10,000, he alleged.
The gang later agreed to release him for Tk2 lakh. Asaduzzaman said the traffickers had accepted the deal, but the joint forces launched their operation before he could be freed.
He claimed more than 50 people were held at the hideout under armed guard. The traffickers had around 130 machetes and heavy weapons resembling AK-47 rifles, he alleged.
Two days before the operation, preparations were under way to send some captives across the sea on a trawler. Asaduzzaman said he and five others were supposed to board it but were left behind because there was not enough space. He then negotiated his release for Tk2 lakh.
Saiful Islam, a resident of Ukhiya, alleged that a broker named Nur Ali handed him over to traffickers after promising him a job.
He said he later learned from gang members that he and another person had been bought for Tk1 lakh.
During his five days in captivity, Saiful saw four to five new people brought to the hideout each day, he claimed. Anyone who tried to speak up was beaten, while those attempting to escape were also tortured.
The captives were eventually chained with iron restraints and given food twice a day, mostly bottle gourd and lentils, he said.
57 rescued, five detained
Teknaf Police Station Investigation Officer Sukanta Chowdhury said one of the 57 rescued people had been identified as a suspected human trafficker, while the remaining 56 were victims.
After verifying their identities and addresses, police handed over 37 people to their families on Friday night. The others remained at the police station. No case had been filed over the incident at the time of his statement, he added.
According to a press release from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Directorate, the joint forces exchanged gunfire with the suspected traffickers during the operation. Army soldier Titas Sheikh, 27, was shot and killed.
Five suspected members of the trafficking gang were detained. A pistol, a locally made firearm and four rounds of ammunition were recovered from the scene, the release said.
The operation was conducted jointly by the Army’s 10 Infantry Division, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and police.
Mohammad Ali, acting chairman of Hnila Union Parishad, said the activities of armed groups in the hills were increasing, while human traffickers were becoming more active during the winter season.
He called for intensive security operations to curb the activities of armed groups and trafficking networks in the area.