Kidnapped Bangladeshi national recounts ordeal in Assam: 'They physically tortured me'

Rabiul Islam, a 27-year-old from Mahalguri, Jamalpur, one of the Bangladeshi nationals abducted in Assam on May 23, has spoken to reporters about his harrowing experience.

"I came to India on May 21 for a medical appointment scheduled for May 27. We arrived in Kolkata, and then travelled to Dhubri on May 23, where I contacted a person whom I had known since my first visit to India in 2021, who happens to speak Hindi well," recounted Rabiul Islam, a 27-year-old from Mahalguri, Jamalpur, Bangladesh. "That person asked me to come to Alighat, picked me up, and took me to his place. After we had dinner and settled down for the night, a few armed men broke in around midnight," recounted Islam.

Islam detailed the events that followed: "They took our wallets and money, tied our hands, and brought us to the Brahmaputra bank. They physically tortured me with rods and demanded Rs 15 lakh. We managed to negotiate it down to Rs 2 lakh but told them I had no money. They forced me to contact my family and demand the ransom by 10 am."

Despite the dire situation, Islam and his companion managed to alert authorities. "My brother sent the money along with a receipt. When they brought us to the city, I seized an opportunity to attack one of the kidnappers and took his phone, but I couldn't unlock it. People saw the commotion and called the police."

The police arrived promptly, apprehending the kidnappers and rescuing the victims. Four suspects, identified as Akabar Ali, Shahalom, Asmat Ali, and Askad Ali from Aminarchar, were arrested.

To recap, the two Bangladeshi nationals were abducted and held for ransom. The police's swift action during the ransom settlement led to the suspects being caught red-handed, and the victims were safely rescued. The investigation is ongoing.