20 workers abducted in Bandarban's Lama
At least 20 workers were abducted in Lama upazila of Bandarban last night.
The incident took place near the Goyal Mara Murungjhiri rubber plantation in Phansia Khali union of the upazila.
Confirming the matter, Lama Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Shahadat Hossain told the media that joint forces are conducting an operation to rescue the workers.
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Local Union Parishad members Mongme Marma and Ziabul Haque said there is a dispute about the number of people abducted.
So far 20 abductees have been identified. They are: Md Faruk (26), Md Ayub Ali (26), Md Siddique (40), Md Abdul Khalek (20), Abdul Majed (17), Monirul Islam (30), Ziaur Rahman (45), Md Mobarak (25), Md Harul (30), Syed Nur (28), Ramiz Uddin (30), Md Kaysar (38), Md Monir Hossain (35), Md Imran (17), Manjur (30), Afsar Ali (25), Md Khairul Amin (30), Abu Bakkar (29), Abdur Razzak (33) and Md Mobin (25).
They are residents of Cox's Bazar's Ramu and Bandarban's Naikhongchhari upazilas.
Locals said these men were working in the rubber plantation when a group of armed people took them hostage at gunpoint.
In recent times, criminal activities, extortion and kidnapping incidents have increased significantly in Lama and surrounding areas.
On 14 January and 1 February, 14 workers were taken from the Sarai union of the same upazila. Later, they were rescued unharmed in a joint forces operation.
