Ex-expat in Feni buys fredoom

One alleged abductor held, 20 sued

9 September 2009, 17:00 PM

A Correspondent, Feni

A former expatriate bought his freedom for Tk 1.5 lakh after 52 hours of his abduction at Sonagazi in Feni on Tuesday. Md Saidullah of Char Chandia village under Sonagazi upazila was kidnapped by a gang of miscreants from Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) area at Chandia at 10:00am on Sunday. They took him to Abdullar Char near coastal belt Keora Bagan and demanded Tk 10 lakh ransom for his release. Saidullah's family immediately informed the Sonagazi police who used tricks to rescue him. After bargaining for long 52 hours with Saidullah's family, the abductors agreed to release him in exchange for Tk 1.5 lakh. They took Saidullah to Chowdhury hat ghat under Companyganj upazila in a trawler at around 11:30am on Tuesday and handed him over to his family. Saidullah was in Oman for several years and returned home a few months ago. He filed an abduction case against 20 people with Sonagazi Police Station on Tuesday night. Police yesterday arrested one of the accused named Abul Kalam, 35. Meanwhile, a blind man of Amirabad Union under Sonagazi upazila left the area on Sunday last in the face of threat by a gang of extortionists and took shelter in the district town. Expelled local Jubo League leader Aru, chief of Aru Bahini, had earlier demanding Tk 50,000 from Alauddin who runs a small business in the area. As Alauddin refused to oblige, Aru along with his gang members entered his house on Saturday night. They took Alauddin and his wife to a road nearby and asked him to pay Tk 50,000. At one stage, the gang snatched Alauddin's six-month-old daughter from her mother's lap and threw her on the ground. Aru and his bahini men left the scene as Alauddin sought three days' time to pay the money. On Sunday night, Alauddin along with his family left the village and took shelter at a house in the town. Alauddin described his ordeal to the journalists at Feni Press Club the following day. Several families of Amirabad Union are now staying in Feni town, fearing torture by Aru Bahini and more that 100 families have been living in the area, paying toll to the notorious gang.