‘Pay Tk 10 lakh or else...’

On March 27th, a video clip landed on the phone of Aktarun Nesa, sister-in-law of a young Bangladeshi expatriate worker, Rubel Islam. It wasn't a joyful message from abroad; rather, it was a nightmare.

The clip depicted Rubel, a 32-year-old garment worker who had sought his fortune in Libya just two months prior, being brutally tortured by a gang of unidentified criminals. Bound and gagged on the floor of an unknown location, the video served as a sickening message. A voice, laced with malice, followed: "Pay us our money or else…"

This single sentence has plunged Rubel's family into a vortex of fear and desperation. The "money" demanded is a staggering Tk 10 lakh, a sum far beyond their means. The family, already struggling to make ends meet, is now facing an impossible choice -- gather a ransom they cannot afford or face the unknown fate of their loved one.

If you don't pay Tk 10 lakh within a week, we will kill him. His blood will be on your hands.

— Kidnappers to Rubel's family

The gang did not contact Rubel's family after March 27 for days. Rubel's cell phone has also been switched off since then. The uncomfortable silence ended last Saturday. Another call came; this time with a chilling deadline.

"If you don't pay Tk 10 lakh within a week, we will kill him. His blood will be on your hands," a voice from the other side said.

Tahera Begum, Rubel's wife, was recounting the harrowing phone calls yesterday. "We don't have that kind of money," Tahera cried. "We're just simple people. We don't know what to do."

A team from Detective Branch recently visited their place in Akkelpur upazila of Joypurhat and assured them that they are working to bring back Rubel safely, said Tahera.

DECEPTION AND DISAPPEARANCE

Rubel's journey to Libya itself was shrouded in suspicion. A broker named Mizanur Rahman befriended Rubel and lured him with the promise of high-paying opportunities in Libya.

Convinced, Rubel sold off his land and paid a hefty sum of Tk 4 lakh to Mizanur Rahman as fees to secure the job.

"Mizanur promised Rubel a good job in Libya," Aktarun explained. "However, upon arrival in mid-January, Rubel found himself jobless and trapped in a foreign land."

The situation worsened when the horrifying video arrived. Since then, all attempts to reach Mizanur have proven futile, said Aktarun. Mizanur and his family have vanished from the village, leaving Rubel's family with more questions than answers.

Rubel's father, Nazim Mondol, has filed a case with Akkalpur Police Station in this connection.

Contacted, Nayan Hussain, officer-in-charge of the police station, said they are investigating the matter.