2 held in Pabna over abduction of expat in Libya

Two people were arrested last night in Dhaka and Chandpur in connection with a case filed over an expatriate worker of Pabna being held captive for ransom and tortured in Libya.
The victim is Masud Hossain, 40, who moved to Libya four years ago and started a tailoring shop, said Pabna Superintendent of Police Akbar Ali Munshi.
The arrestees are Habibur Rahman Sumon, 30, and Robiul Awal Robi, 28. They were arrested on Thursday night, said the SP.
The SP said, on May 13, an unknown caller contacted Masud’s wife, informing her of his abduction and demanding a ransom of Tk 10 lakh. The kidnappers provided a Bangladeshi MFS number for the payment.
Masud’s father, after borrowing the money, sent the Tk 10 lakh to an MFS number. On May 20, the gang called again, this time demanding an additional Tk 15 lakh and sent a video of Masud being beaten, said SP Akbar Ali.
He said, “After the family filed a complaint with Pabna Sadar Police Station, police conducted an investigation and identified the suspects and conducted raids in various areas, including Chandpur, leading to their arrests.”
The SP said they found the identities of the Libyan kidnappers, but withheld their names for the sake of the investigation.
Efforts are underway to rescue Masud with the help of Interpol through legal procedures, he added.