Fifty-seven people, including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, have been rescued from a human trafficking hideout in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, where they were held captive, tortured and allegedly sold for up to Tk1 lakh each.
A joint forces operation against human trafficking hideouts in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, is continuing after law enforcement agencies received information that three bodies were lying in the hills.
The hostages had been subjected to repeated attempts to traffic them by sea. Many of those rescued could have been trafficked if the joint forces had not launched the operation on Thursday.
Army officials said intelligence reports indicated that more than 100 Bangladeshi and Rohingya people, abducted for human trafficking, were being held and tortured at a hideout in the remote hills of Rangikhali in Teknaf. The army launched an operation to rescue them on Thursday afternoon, led by the 10th Infantry Division, with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and police also taking part.
During the operation, soldier Mohammad Titas Sheikh of the 1 Bangladesh Infantry Regiment was shot in his left shoulder. He was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition and later transferred to the Combined Military Hospital in Ramu, where doctors declared him dead.
Officer-in-Charge of Teknaf Model Police Station Md Saiful Islam said the 57 people rescued from the hideout were handed over to the police station at noon on Friday. They include Bangladeshis and displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar.
“The identities and other details of those handed over to the police station are being verified,” the OC said.
Cox’s Bazar Superintendent of Police ANM Sajedur Rahman said the operation in the hills was continuing. “On Friday afternoon, we received information that three bodies were lying in the remote hills east of Nayapara and the Leda refugee camp in Hnila union. Efforts are under way to recover them,” he said.
Sold for Tk1 lakh
Those rescued and now in police custody said many had been taken to the hills and held captive after being lured with promises of jobs. They were also tortured, and many failed to escape despite repeated attempts.
Some were held captive for eight days, while others were sold. A 40- to 50-member armed group guarded the hideout, leaving the captives with little opportunity to escape.
Asaduzzaman, a resident of Faridpur, said he had become acquainted with a Rohingya man named Imam from the Kutupalong camp in Ukhiya while working at a bridge in Cox’s Bazar. Eight days ago, Imam invited him to the camp, promising him a job there.
“They kept me confined in a makeshift hut in the hills. I tried to escape twice but failed,” he said.
Asaduzzaman said he saw more than 50 other people being held captive in the hills. He then realised he had fallen into the trap of a human trafficking ring.
Two days before the rescue, a trawler carrying more than 100 people was preparing to set sail. Asaduzzaman and five others were also supposed to be taken aboard, but they were not put on the trawler because there was not enough space.
“They had plans to traffic us on Thursday as well. Fortunately, the army came and rescued us,” Asad said.
Mohammad Saiful and Mizanur Rahman, residents of Septakhali in Ukhiya who were among those rescued, said a broker named Nur Ali had handed them over to the traffickers on the promise of jobs. They later learnt from the traffickers that the two of them had been bought for Tk2 lakh.
They said four or five new people had been brought to the hideout every day over the previous five days. Anyone who tried to speak up was severely beaten.
“We were also beaten when we tried to escape. Later, they tied us up with iron chains,” Saiful said.
They said they were given raw bottle gourd and lentils for two meals a day. They had become so hungry that they feared they would die.
‘Gunshots heard every day’
Local residents said rescuing the hostages or arresting a few people would not be enough. All human trafficking hideouts in the remote hills of Rangikhali must be identified and dismantled. They also called for those providing shelter and protection to people involved in drug and human trafficking to be brought to justice.
Two days before the incident, two young men were beaten to death in Hnila, Teknaf, over an incident involving the snatching of drugs.
Nur Alam, a resident of Hnila, said, “Gunshots can be heard in the hills every day. The entire area has become unsafe because of armed traffickers. Armed groups have established hideouts in the hills of Baharchhara, Hnila and Whykong.”
Mohammad Ali, acting chairman of Hnila Union Parishad, said, “The activities of armed groups based in the hills are increasing day by day. The presence of human traffickers becomes particularly noticeable during the winter season.”
Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer SM Anik Chowdhury said, “Law enforcement agencies are working to arrest armed human traffickers operating in the hills. No one will be allowed to escape punishment for committing crimes.”
Titas laid to rest in his village
At noon on Friday, an army helicopter took Titas Sheikh’s body to Dhaka Cantonment. After he was given a guard of honour, his body was taken to his family home in Laskardia village of Nagarkanda upazila in Faridpur at around 4pm.
A second guard of honour was held at the Laskardia Government Primary School field that evening, followed by his funeral prayer. His body was then taken home for the final time.
His mother, Rekha Begum, father, Afzal Sheikh, wife, Sumaiya Akter, and other relatives broke down in tears.
His mother recalled through tears that Titas had told her on Wednesday that he was going on an operation against terrorists and had asked her to pray for him.
Titas married Sumaiya four years ago. He had planned to take her to his workplace next December.
His father, Afzal Sheikh, is a retired army member. His younger brother, Akram Hossain, is also serving in the army.
Titas was the eldest of two brothers and a sister. He joined the army in 2017 and, nine years later, was serving at the Rangikhali Army Camp in Teknaf.
In a condolence message, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, “The Bangladesh Army remembers with deep respect the sacrifice of this young soldier, who laid down his life while serving his motherland.”
