A 45-year-old man from Jhenaidah, who was rescued in critical condition from a forest in Latvia, died in a hospital after allegedly being tortured by human traffickers who had promised to send him to Italy legally in exchange for Tk46 lakh.
Sohel Rana, son of Abul Hashem of Halidhani union under Jhenaidah Sadar upazila, died at a hospital in Daugavpils in Latvia's Latgale region on October 8, family members said.
His wife Jesmin Sultana filed a case against nine people with a tribunal dealing with the prevention and suppression of human trafficking and migrant smuggling in Jhenaidah on Monday.
The accused were identified as Shamsunnahar, 55, her husband Shahjahan Sarkar, 58, her two sons Shohagh, 35, an expatriate living in Italy and Nasir Sarkar, 32, an expatriate living in Qatar, Sohel Rana, 41, son of Abul Kalam Sarkar, Abdur Razzak, 50, son-in-law of Shahjahan, Tonny Sarkar, 32, wife of Shohagh Sarkar, Riad Dewan, 35, an expatriate living in Egypt, and Shariful Sarkar, 48, of Ramchandrapur village in Sadar upazila of the district.
According to the complaint, the accused initially took Tk26 lakh from Sohel with the promise of sending him to Italy legally and sent him to Qatar on April 6, 2025.
They assured him that he would be taken to Italy within 90 days, but he was not provided with any work, his wife alleged.
When a return ticket was later sent for him, the accused allegedly prevented him from returning home and demanded another Tk5 lakh, promising to send him to Italy through Egypt.
After receiving the money, they sent him to Egypt on August 14, 2026, according to the complaint.
On August 25, the family received a demand for Tk20 lakh through Sohel's phone. Another Tk4.5 lakh was demanded on October 9. His family sent money in five instalments in an attempt to save his life, his wife alleged.
On October 12, Latvian police informed the family through a message that Sohel had been rescued from a forest on October 7 and admitted to a hospital, where he died the following day.
Sohel's brother-in-law Ishtiaque Ahmed on Tuesday said the family had been promised legal migration to Italy.
Instead, Sohel was allegedly moved between different countries over the past one and a half years before being tortured and abandoned in a forest near the Latvia-Belarus border.
The family later learned through the Bangladesh Embassy in Poland that Latvian border guards rescued him in an ailing condition and took him to hospital, Ishtiaque said.
Local residents alleged that at least 12 people were taken to different countries by the same group, with several crores of taka reportedly collected on promises of sending them to Italy through irregular routes.
Three other men — Ripon Mia of Garamara village, Hamed Ali of Ramchandrapur village and Jagat Ali, son of the late Taizel Master — have been missing for around 12 years, according to locals.
Their families suspect that they might also have fallen victim to the alleged trafficking network, though the claims have not been independently verified.
Halidhani Union Parishad member Shahidul Islam said the group collected money from at least 15 people in Ramchandrapur and other parts of the union, promising to send them to Italy.
Some of those people are now stranded in different countries without reaching their intended destination, he added.
Halidhani Union Parishad Chairman Advocate Enamul Haque Nilu said he learned through social media that Sohel died in a Latvian hospital after being rescued from a forest, describing the incident as deeply tragic.
Contacted, Additional Superintendent of Police Sheikh Billal Hossain on Tuesday said they have yet to receive any official information from Police Headquarters or a foreign embassy about the incident.
Authorities will take necessary action if information is received, he added.