Trader buys freedom, another bombed, robbers kill youth

In another incident, armed robbers shot dead a man and injured two others during a robbery in Meherpur in the early hours of Saturday. Abduction fort ransom and other crimes are on the rise in Kushtia and Meherpur districts.

At least six persons including two students were abducted in Kushtia and five in Meherpur since beginning of month.

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In Kushtia, sanitary ware trader Aktaruzzaman of Sawstipur village in the Sadar upazila bought freedom after paying his captors Tk 50,000. Police and family sources said a gang whisked Aktaruzzaman into a microbus when he was returning home at Alampur on Thursday at about 10:pm.

Four hours latter, the gang demanded Tk one lakh ransom on cellphone for his release. After negotiation, his family left Tk 50,000 at a place suggested by the abductors on Saturday. Aktaruzzaman was left at a place in Aruapara area in Kushtia town at about 11:pm on Saturday.

After fling of a case, Sadar police arrested one Babul Biswas of Swasripur yesterday for interrogation, police said.

In Meherpur, some criminals threw bombs on corn trader Faruk Hossain Malitha, 29, after they failed to abduct him from Karamdi village in Gangni upazila Friday noon. He was returning home from Gangni riding a motorcycle.

According to police, a gang led by Abu Hasan and Khudu Mia intercepted and tried to abduct him. As Faruk cried for help and people gathered, the gang threw two bombs on him and fled away.

Local people took him to the local health complex. He was later sifted to Meherpur General Hospital.

In another incident at Dighirpara in Meherpur town, armed robbers killed Sahin Uddin, 30, and injured two others in the early hours of Saturday. Shahin had gone for rescue when inmates of Osman Ali's house there cried for help when some dacoits attacked them at about 2:am.

Two others -- Osman and Khidir were bullet-hit in the incident. They were admitted to Meherpur General Hospital.

Police rushed to the spot after the incident. They recovered Shahin's body and sent it to Meherpur General Hospital for autopsy.