2 kidnapped in Teknaf, Tk10 lakh 'ransom' demanded

Two individuals were reportedly abducted at gunpoint from the Marishbunia area of Cox's Bazar's Teknaf upazila on Saturday night.

The abductors, later, have demanded a ransom of Tk10 lakh for their release.

The victims have been identified as Noor Kamal, a resident of Jadimora of the upazila and husband of Tayeba Begum, and her nephew Belal Uddin, son of Nur Hossain from Rongikhali of the upazila. 

According to local sources, the abduction took place around 8:30pm from the house of Tayeba Begum in Marishbunia.

Baharchhara Union Parishad member Farid Ullah confirmed the incident, stating, "Just a day before the abduction, Noor Kamal had married Tayeba Begum. On Saturday night, a group of armed men stormed Tayeba's home, held the family at gunpoint, and abducted Noor Kamal and Belal Uddin."

He added that he alerted the Baharchhara police outpost immediately after receiving information from Tayeba.

Tayeba recounted the harrowing incident, saying, "Five armed men broke into my house. They looted gold ornaments weighing one and a half bhori and Tk15,000 in cash. Then they forcibly took my husband and nephew away at gunpoint."

She further said that the kidnappers contacted her the next afternoon, demanding Tk10 lakh as ransom and threatening to kill the hostages if the money was not paid.

Inspector Shubho Ranjan Saha, in charge of the Baharchhara police outpost, stated, "We have received the complaint from the family and are conducting a rescue operation to locate the abductees."

The incident comes amid growing concern over the rising number of abductions in the region.

According to data from Cox's Bazar District Police, at least 244 individuals have been abducted in various parts of Teknaf over the last 15 months.