A Rohingya man was rescued after being abducted by an armed group posing as members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in the remote hill region of Rangikhali in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar.
RAB officials say Hafiz Ullah was abducted last Tuesday from a Rohingya refugee camp.
The kidnappers, reportedly dressed in fake RAB uniforms and armed with weapons, later demanded Tk 1.5 million in ransom from his family.
Security forces launched a 72-hour joint operation involving 256 personnel from RAB, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), police, APBn, and the Forest Department.
Hostage found, weapons and fake gear seized
On Sunday, the operation led to Hafiz’s rescue. Officers also recovered three rounds of ammunition, locally made weapons, RAB uniforms, and a walkie-talkie from the site.
The abductors’ hideout was dismantled.
“They pretended to be RAB,” said Lt. Col. Kamrul Hasan, a senior RAB official. “They wore uniforms and carried arms to threaten the victim’s family. They even warned against contacting authorities, threatening to kill Hafiz if they did.”
Hasan added that law enforcement is gradually gaining control over criminal zones in the region.
“This shows that our security forces are becoming more proactive. Criminals are beginning to retreat,” he said.
Key suspects arrested, including dismissed army personnel
Earlier on Friday, authorities arrested two suspects, Afrid and Abdul Gafur, from the home of Shah Alam, believed to be the main orchestrator of the kidnapping.
The next day, a third suspect was detained in Ukhiya’s Moricha Bazar. He was identified as Mohammad Suman Munshi, a former member of the armed forces who had been dismissed for misconduct involving illegal relationships.
Since settling in Cox’s Bazar, Munshi allegedly developed ties with local criminal groups and became involved in extortion and other illegal activities.
Recurring violence in remote zones
This wasn’t the first time. Back on May 8, law enforcement launched a similar raid in the Rangikhali hills.
Thick forests and broken roads have long made the area a comfortable hideout for gangs tied to abductions, extortion, and trafficking.
Officials say these operations won’t stop anytime soon.
But this latest rescue, they believe, sends a clear signal — the hills may be remote, but they’re not beyond the reach of law enforcement anymore.
