Youth ‘kidnapped, harassed, tortured’ by BCL members in Satkhira

Members of Bangladeh Chhatra League allegedly kidnapped a male student in Satkhira on Sunday, reports UNB.

The victim’s father alleged that after kidnapping his son the BCL activists tortured and harassed him by recording a video of him after removing his clothes. They also have demanded Tk 200,000 as ransom.

The victim is a university admission test examinee. The victim’s father accused Syed Akib, 25, organising secretary of Upazila BCL, Soumitra Chakraborty, 32, organising secretary of upazila Sramik League, and BCL members JR Sumon, 25, Joy, 24, and Nahid Hasan Utsho of being involved with the incident.

He said at around 1.00am, Nahid, who was an acquaintance of the victim, asked him to come in front of Tala Government College over phone and as he went there the alleged BCL members took him inside a room in the college.

“They had beaten him, shaved his head, and recorded a video of him after removing his clothes. At one point they called my wife and asked for Tk 200,000 as ransom, claiming they kidnapped my son. She also heard our sons scream over the phone while she was talking to kidnappers,” the victim’s father said.

Later, around evening the victim was rescued from the college and was taken to Tala Hospital.

“As I went to lodge a complaint at Tala police station, one of the accused’s fathers called me and threatened me not to do it,” the victim’s father alleged.

He suspects the accused wanted to snatch the new motorcycle he bought for his son.

Meanwhile, Abul Kalam, officer-in-charge of Tala police station said, “All the accused remained absconding since the incident. The complaint was not recorded as the victim’s father did not submit a copy of his Voter ID card with it but I have no information that they were threatened.”

The victim said, “All the kidnappers were BCL activists and the room seemed like a torture cell in the Tala College student dormitory with belt, sticks and weapons.”

However, Sheik Humayun Kabir, incumbent principal of Tala College said he has no idea about such an incident neither about BCL men having any torture cell inside the college.

Ashiqur Rahman Ashiq, president of Satkhria district BCL unit said, “If evidence of any BCL members being involved in the incident is found, organisational actions will be taken against them. We are yet to get any information in this regard.”

Md Mostafizur Rahman, superintendent of Satkhira police said the matter is under investigation none of the perpetrators will be spared.