Kidnapped by 'fake' lawmen

Nafizur Rahman (22), a student, was passing through Hatijheel around 10:00pm on May 30, when he was stopped by a group of 10 to 12 men. Identifying themselves as Rapid Action Battalion personnel, the group of miscreants kidnapped Nafizur from the spot. Later they called Nafizur's family. Claiming that they have found Yaba tablets on Nafizur's person, they threatened to kill him unless the family paid them Tk 1 million on that night. Due to various problems, Nafizur's parents could not pay the sum forcing the kidnappers to scale the ransom down to Tk 100,000. After Nafizur's parents paid the amount, they handed over a tortured Nafizur near Mirbagh of Ramna. He was tortured and sand was thrown into his eyes to ensure that he cannot identify his kidnappers later. After Nafizur's parents filed a case against the unknown miscreants, police apprehended some suspects from the Rampura area. These miscreants were taking advantage of the ongoing 'war on drugs' campaign by the law enforcement agencies. There have been reports of similar kidnappings in other parts of the country as well. In most cases, the bewildered family members of victims are paying up from whatever savings that they have. The law enforcement agencies should look into these issues and bring such gangs to book.
Akibul Hamid
Indira Road, Dhaka