Human trafficking victim from Bangladesh dies in Libyan detention after ransom dispute
Photo Collected
A 24-year-old Bangladeshi man from Madaripur has died in a detention center in Libya after being subjected to brutal torture by human traffickers. Sohag Munshi, a resident of Majumdarkandi in the Rajoir municipality, died on July 24, according to his family, who only recently confirmed his death through a fellow expatriate living in Libya. The victim’s family has since filed a formal complaint with local police against a network of traffickers, alleging that he was held captive and abused for months while his captors repeatedly demanded exorbitant ransoms.
Sohag’s journey began last September after he entered into an agreement with local human traffickers, led by a woman named Moyna Akhter and her associate Julhas Sardar, to reach Italy for 2.2 million taka. After initially traveling to Saudi Arabia, Sohag was moved to Benghazi, Libya, where his passport was seized and he was forcibly transferred to a detention center in Tripoli. Family members reported that they were coerced into paying 3.8 million taka in installments to secure his release, but the traffickers ultimately demanded an additional 2.8 million taka to facilitate his return to Bangladesh.
In a harrowing account, the victim’s mother, Shahinur Begum, described receiving desperate phone calls from her son while he was in captivity. She recalled hearing him plead for his life as he was being beaten, warning her that his captors had sold him and would kill him if the ransom was not paid. Despite the family’s frantic efforts to raise the funds, they were unable to meet the final demands, leading to the fatal outcome. The family has now spent nearly 6 million taka, selling off their land and assets in a futile attempt to save him.
The primary suspect, Julhas Sardar, is described by local authorities as a notorious human trafficker with at least 10 pending cases against him. While Sardar was recently arrested by police and is currently being held in jail, the victim’s grieving family is calling for justice and urgent government intervention to repatriate Sohag’s body.
Rajoir Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sheikh Aminul Islam confirmed that a formal complaint has been filed regarding the incident. He stated that the authorities have launched an investigation into the trafficking network and are committed to taking appropriate legal action against those responsible for the death of the young migrant. For now, the Munshi family remains in a state of deep mourning, clutching photographs of their son and appealing to the state to help bring his remains home for a final burial.
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