Police rescue kidnapped man from local BNP leaders in Patuakhali

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Police in Bauphal, Patuakhali, rescued a 40-year-old man on Thursday afternoon following reports that he had been kidnapped and subjected to torture by two local opposition political figures demanding a ransom of 300,000 taka. The victim, Nasir Uddin, a farmer and cattle rancher from Char Algi village, was found bound and injured at a private office near the Engineer Faruk Talukdar Women’s College after authorities received an emergency alert via the 999 national service.

According to the victim’s account, the incident began earlier in the day when he was traveling home from a court appearance in Patuakhali. As he reached the Hetalia Bandhghat area, he was intercepted by a group led by Ali Azam Chowdhury, a member of the local BNP committee and president of the Daspara Union BNP, alongside Masum Billah, joint general secretary of the Bauphal municipal BNP. Nasir alleged that the group seized his mobile phone and abducted him via motorcycle, transporting him to a private office in Bauphal.

Nasir stated that once held captive at the office, he was beaten and threatened with death while his captors demanded a ransom. He further alleged that the assailants forcibly took 3,000 taka from his mobile financial service account and confiscated an additional 3,500 taka in cash. The victim is currently receiving medical treatment for his injuries and has expressed his intention to pursue legal action.

Preliminary reports suggest that the kidnapping is linked to a long-standing political feud regarding the control of the Daspara Union Parishad between the accused, Ali Azam Chowdhury, and the union chairman, A.N.M. Jahangir Hossain, whom the victim actively supports.

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Both accused men have categorically denied the allegations. Ali Azam Chowdhury dismissed the incident as baseless, labeling the victim a drug dealer, while Masum Billah stated he had no involvement in any kidnapping activities.

The officer-in-charge of Bauphal Police Station, Sirajul Islam, confirmed that officers arrived at the scene by 3:30 p.m. to secure the victim and return him to his relatives. Officials noted that because the initial abduction occurred within the jurisdiction of the Patuakhali Sadar Police Station, formal legal proceedings and further investigation into the complaint must be transferred to that authority.