Six workers have been kidnapped from a remote area in Lama, Bandarban, sparking a rescue operation involving the army and police.
Six workers were abducted early Sunday morning from a rubber plantation in the mountainous region of Gojalia Union, Lama Upazila, Bandarban. The workers, employed by Helal Soudhagar to cut trees, were taken from the remote Bommukhal area. Their identities have not yet been confirmed.
It is believed that a group of the armed separatist organization, JSS, is behind the abduction. Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Lama Police Station, Mohammad Shahadat Hossain, confirmed the incident, stating that police, with the help of the military, have launched a rescue mission to free the abducted workers.
Sources reveal that a terrorist group in the region has been involved in various criminal activities such as extortion and abductions for the past two months. On Sunday at around 5 a.m., they kidnapped the six workers from the plantation. Helal Soudhagar, the owner of the plantation, stated that no ransom has been demanded yet.
This is the latest in a series of abductions in the area. In previous incidents, a worker from a rubber plantation and the manager of Hilltop Agro Limited were also kidnapped. Several other local workers, including tobacco workers, were taken by the same group but were released after joint operations by the police and army.
Liberty News’ local correspondent reports the repeated kidnappings have left local workers, including those in rubber, tobacco, and bamboo industries, living in fear, said Usaching Marma, Acting Chairman of Gojalia Union Parishad. Due to the remote location, network issues have delayed further information on the situation.
LND/BAIZID
