Nizam Uddin, the manager of Sonali Bank's Ruma branch in Bandarban who was rescued by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on Thursday night, two days after being abducted by the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), has given important information about the armed group.
The robbery made headlines and sparked tension. But within hours, the KNF armed members robbed two more banks in nearby Thanchi Upazila Sadar in broad daylight.
Commander Khandaker Al Moin, director of the Legal and Media Wing of the RAB, shared the details during a press conference at the Hill District Council Conference Room in Bandarban on Friday morning.
Nizam informed RAB that, on Tuesday night, over 100 armed KNF members had surrounded the branch and nearby places, intending to rob the bank.
The KNF members took advantage of a power outage to ambush and assault police, Ansar, and others, holding 10 people at gunpoint, including duty constables at the bank, according to the RAB official.
During the incident, they stole two SMGs and 60 rounds of ammunition, eight Chinese rifles and 320 rounds of ammunition, as well as four shotguns and 35 cartridges from the Ansar members.
Learning of Nizam's presence at a nearby mosque where he was attending Isha prayers, the terrorists entered the mosque, held all the worshipers at gunpoint, and confiscated their mobile phones before kidnapping him.
Initially, he had misled the militants by claiming to be an agriculture officer, but the locals confirmed his identity.
At that time, all terrorists were dressed in similar military attire and had their faces covered with black cloth, surrounding the bank with armed presence.
Quoting Nizam Uddin, the RAB official said the terrorists inquired about the money brought to the bank on the day of the incident and the total money kept in the bank vault. When they demanded the vault keys, the manager tactfully refused to hand them over.
The attackers then attempted to break the vault and later learned from the manager that the sensors would immediately alert Sonali Bank's head office if the vault were damaged.
After failing to rob money from the bank's vault, they decided to abduct the manager, RAB said.
Later, they kidnapped him and blindfolded him upon reaching a hilly area. He was walked for 2.5 hours through an unfamiliar hilly path, accompanied by 10 to 12 armed terrorists.
During the walk, they removed his blindfold for easier navigation in the dark and gave him a button phone.
After a brief rest, they continued walking and eventually allowed him to sleep at a quiet, unknown location at around 2:30am, ensuring he could not escape by keeping watch.
The following morning, after a light breakfast, they walked him again through a hilly path to another hillside where about 30 to 35 armed militants were stationed. They fed him hot rice, lentils, and fried eggs wrapped in banana leaves.
Later, they walked him to another location, allowing a 15 to 20-minute rest. Around 7pm, after several stops for rest and walking, they reached a different place and fed him again.
The incident garnered widespread media attention nationally and locally, sparking significant criticism across the country. In response, RAB immediately mobilized multiple teams, enhancing surveillance and intelligence efforts to rescue the kidnapped bank manager and recover the stolen weapons.
Continuing these efforts, Moin said RAB successfully pinpointed the manager's location using technology and information from his family. Through strategic pressure, they negotiated the manager's release with the terrorists. RAB also discreetly deployed plainclothes units in Bethel Para and Barua Para near Ruma police station to prevent any family members from being kidnapped during the handover.
On Thursday evening, the militants safely returned the manager to his family. Subsequently, RAB escorted the manager and his family to the RAB-15 camp in Bandarban to ensure their protection.
Moin said that RAB continued its efforts to retrieve the arms and ammunition seized by the armed terrorists, with assistance from police and Ansar members.
Legal proceedings related to this case are currently in progress.
