Kidnapping: Dhaka ranks first followed by Chattogram

A seven-year-old physically challenged boy was abducted from Gazipur on 29 July in 2021.

On that night, the parents [of the boy], readymade garment (RMG) workers by profession, got a phone call from an unknown person who demanded Tk 50,000 as ransom. A day after the call, the body of the missing boy, wrapping with plastic bag, was recovered from a nearby orchard.

The incidents of abductions have been increasing in the country for the last six years. Over half of the incidents have taken place in two divisions: Dhaka and Chattogram, according to the report of Bangladesh Peace Observatory (BPO).

After analysing the incidents of abductions taking place from January 2015 to May 2022, BPO came up with a report titled ‘Crime in Bangladesh: Abduction/Kidnapping: An overview from BPO’.

As per the report, the rate of kidnapping in Dhaka division is higher by a lower margin than that of Chattogram, at 26.4 per cent and 24.4 per cent respectively.

The figure is 13.5 per cent in Rajshahi, 12.17 per cent in Khulna, 7.1 per cent in Rangpur, 6.7 per cent in Barishal, 5.1 per cent in Sylhet and 4.6 per cent in Mymensingh.

The report says the highest numbers of people were abducted in 2019, at 395, followed by 329 in 2018, 324 in 2017, 309 in 2016, 303 in 2015 and 297 in 2020.

The incidents of abductions were comparatively lower in 2020 due to coronavirus pandemic. A total of 1,806 people have been arrested in the cases filed over abductions, from 2015 to May in 2021, the report added.

The report claims 414 people were killed and 607 injured in the incidents of abductions in last six years.

Kidnappings are on the rise across the world. Bangladesh has ranked eighth in the list of countries of frequent abductions while Mexico ranked first followed by India and Pakistan. Drug peddlers, criminal gangs are involved in this crime. Sometimes political parties get involved in such heinous act.

According to BPO, selling organs and forcing people to beg and marry off are the main reasons behind the abduction in Asia. Demanding ransom, killing political rival and sexual harassment are held responsible for kidnapping in Bangladesh.

Women in Bangladesh are vulnerable to kidnapping. A total of 56 women were killed and 212 injured in the incidents of abduction.