Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Vatara division has rescued Zakir Hossain (55), a fruit trader, and arrested five members of a Bashundhara kidnapping gang who had abducted Zakir from the Vatara area.
The arrested individuals are Mohammad Tareq Shafin (23), KM Islam (30), Tanvir Rahman Sajjad (22), Md Al Noman (22), and Md Shipon Chowdhury (22).
According to Vatara Police Station sources, Zakir Hossain operated a fruit shop named “Bhai Bhai Fruit Store” near London Ekram Tower at Basundhara Gate. On July 24, 2025, at around 3:30am, while organising the fruits in his store, 18-20 unidentified assailants on 10-12 motorcycles forcibly abducted him at gunpoint.
The kidnappers later contacted Zakir’s wife Taslima Akhtar at noon on July 24, demanding Tk1o lakh ransom and threatening to kill him. After negotiations, she paid Tk5 lakh at the Top Ten crossing in Bashundhara at 1pm.
The kidnappers subsequently demanded an additional Tk 2 lakh, which was paid on July 25 at 11am. Despite this, they refused to release Zakir.
Following Taslima’s complaint, Vatara Police Station filed a case on July 25 at 8:30pm. A police team located and rescued Zakir unharmed near Officers Club on Bailey Road at 11:30pm that same day.
Subsequent raids in Basundhara residential area led to the arrest of five gang members.
Police recovered two motorcycles used in the crime and Tk2.57 of the ransom money from the arrestees. Legal proceedings have been initiated against the detained suspects, while operations continue to apprehend remaining fugitives.
