26 workers abducted from a rubber plantation in Lama. Armed assailants have abducted 26 workers from a rubber plantation in Lama, Bandarban.
26 workers abducted from: The abduction took place on Sunday (February 16) in Goyal Mara Rubber Plantation, located in Ward No. 1 of Fasiakhali Union. Lama Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Shahadat Hossain initially suspected that the workers were kidnapped for ransom from the plantation owner.
According to reports, around 10:30 AM, armed militants from the remote Murungjhiri area of Ward No. 1, Fasiakhali Union, launched an attack on several rubber plantations. They held 26 workers at gunpoint and abducted them.
After speaking with plantation owners, the names of 20 out of the 26 abducted workers have been identified. They are:
Md. Faruk (26), Ayub Ali (26), Md. Siddiq (40), Abdul Khaleq (20), Abdul Majed (17), Monirul Islam (30), Ziaur Rahman (45), Md. Mobarak (25), Md. Harun (30), Ramiz Uddin (32), Sayed Nur (28), Md. Kaisar (38), Monir Hossain (35), Md. Imran (17), Md. Manjurul (30), Absar Ali (25), Khairul Amin (30), Abu Bakkar (28), Abdur Razzak (33), Md. Mobin (25)
The names of the remaining six abducted workers are yet to be identified.
OC Md. Shahadat Hossain confirmed that upon receiving news of the abduction, police and the army launched a rescue operation. He suspects that the kidnappers might be armed hill militants.
It is worth mentioning that earlier in January and early February, more than 10 workers were abducted in two separate incidents.
