Teknaf abductions: 18 out of 27 rescued, operations underway for another 9

A team of joint forces have rescued 18 people, including forest workers, who were abducted by armed groups in Teknaf.

Operations are underway to rescue another nine, who were abducted last night and this morning, officials said, adding that two people have been detained over the abductions. 

Terror in Teknaf hills: 27 abducted in 2 days

A joint force of locals, police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and Armed Police Battalion (APBN) members, with the help of the Forest Department, conducted the rescue operation in Gohin Pahar area of Hnila union at around 5:00pm today (31 December), said Forest Department's Tenkaf Range Officer Abdur Rashid.

RAB-15 Senior Assistant Director (Law and Media) and Additional Superintendent of Police Md Kamruzzaman said two people involved in the kidnapping have been detained and the kidnapping gang has been identified. 

Teknaf Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Muhammad Gias Uddin said the rescued people are being taken out of the mountains. "When they are brought to the police station, detailed information will be obtained from them."

Nine people were abducted in the hills of Teknaf upazila in Cox's Bazar, including two auto-rickshaw drivers, in the last 24 hours. The abduction took place immediately after 18 people, including Forest Department officials, were abducted from the upazila's Jadimora area in Hnila union yesterday morning (30 December).

The latest kidnappings – from stopping CNG-run auto-rickshaws to abducting a man from his grocery shop – between last night and this morning (31 December) have spread panic through the area. 

Eight of the victims were waylaid on their way from Hoikyang to Shamlapur on two auto-rickshaws this morning, while one was kidnapped from the Bora Dail area of Baharchhara Union last night.

Two auto-rickshaws were stopped around 8am and all eight, including the drivers, were abducted, said Shamlapur CNG autorickshaw lineman Md Abdur Rahim.

Police from the Baharchhara Investigation Centre reached the spot after receiving the information. 

However, the names and addresses of the abductees could not be known immediately.

Inspector Shobhan Kumar Shaha, the in-charge of the Baharchhara Investigation Centre, said an operation is being conducted in this regard. 

Two CNGs have been recovered, he added.

Jasim Uddin, son of Nazim Uddin Master, a resident of the Bara Dail area of Baharchhara Union in Teknaf, was abducted at around 11pm yesterday, said Nurul Islam, UP member of Ward-8.

He said armed terrorists fired 15-20 rounds of blank shots, abducted Jasim from his grocery shop near South Bara Dail Government Primary School and took him into the hills. 

Mohammad Ali, UP member of Ward-9 of Hnila Union Parishad, claimed most of the abductions were done by Rohingya terrorists.

He said the abductees were subjected to various types of torture if the ransom demands were not met.

"The people are living in fear," he said.

According to Cox's Bazar District Police and families of victims, 153 people have been abducted from different areas of Teknaf in the past year. Of them, 94 were local residents, 59 Rohingyas. 

At least 78 of the abducted victims were released after ransoms were paid, according to the victims' families.

According to Teknaf Police Station, 14 kidnapping cases were registered with Teknaf police between 18 August and 31 December this year.

The number of accused in these cases is at least 65. So far, 30 people have been arrested.