Security forces rescued five young men on Wednesday night who were allegedly held hostage, tortured, and threatened with death while their captors demanded a ransom of Tk 1 million. One suspect has been arrested in connection with the incident.
The rescue took place around 9:30 PM at a mess house in the Sreepur area of Magura municipality, where the five victims had been confined. The arrested man has been identified as Ishtiaque Ahmed, 27, a local resident.
The rescued victims are Rajib Sardar (24), Hridoy Sardar (21), Babu Sheikh (24), Osman Sheikh (24), and Riad Islam (23), all from Barfa village in Gopalganj Sadar upazila. According to their statements, a joint team of army and police carried out the operation that led to their rescue.
The victims said they arrived in Magura on May 21 to sell electronic goods and rented two rooms at a local hostel named “M.S. Chhatrabas.” On Tuesday evening, a group of 8 to 10 people, including Ishtiaque Ahmed, stormed into the hostel, physically assaulted them, and held them captive.
“They played loud music at night while beating us and recorded the assault on video,” said Rajib Sardar. “Two of us were even taken to a cremation ground and threatened with death. In the morning, we were locked in separate rooms until the army rescued us.”
A video of the abuse, obtained by the Magura army camp, shows four men standing against a wall with their hands raised while one man beats them with a stick. Based on the victims’ information, the army later raided Ishtiaque Ahmed’s house and recovered stolen electronic items. Additionally, they found sticks, homemade weapons, and drug paraphernalia during a search of the mess house.
Magura Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ayub Ali said preparations are underway to file a case and that efforts are ongoing to arrest other individuals involved in the incident.