17, including Forest Department workers, abducted from Teknaf hill

Seventeen people, including three Forest Department workers, were abducted from Teknaf's hilly Jadimora area in Hnila union at around 10am today (30 December).

Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sheikh Ehsan Uddin confirmed the information.

The three kidnapped forest workers were identified as Saiful Islam, 22, Syed Ahmed, 50, Mohammad Rafiq, 40.

The other kidnapped include labourers Ayub Khan, 18, Ayub Ali, 50, Ansar Ullah, 18, Ayat Ullah, 22, Shamsu, 45, Shamsu, 40, Ismail, 35, Mohammad Hasim, 40, Nur Mohammad, 21, Syed Amin, 30, Safi Ullah, 30, Ayub, 50, and Mahata Amin, 18. Another kidnapped person's identity could not be confirmed yet.

Teknaf has become a hotbed for abductions in recent months. Only yesterday, police detained five members of an international human trafficking syndicate and rescued 66 people, including Rohingyas.

In today's incident, UNO Ehsan said the workers had gone to plant saplings on Jadimora hill when they were abducted.

"This morning, 24 people, including the three forest workers, went to the hills to plant saplings of various trees. A bandit group took them hostage at gunpoint, kidnapped them and took them to the deep hills. Although seven people managed to escape by hiding in the jungle, the other 17 people were taken away," the UNO said.

Forest Department's Teknaf Range Officer Abdur Rashid said the police, Armed Police Battalion, Rapid Action Battalion, and locals were jointly engaged in the rescue operation.

Contacted, Teknaf Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Muhammad Gias Uddin said, "I have heard about the matter. Law enforcement agencies are working on it."

According to Cox's Bazar District Police and families of victims, 143 people were kidnapped from various areas of Teknaf in the last 14 months. Among them, 86 were locals and 56 Rohingyas.

At least 69 of the victims were released after paying ransom.