'Rohingya' kidnappers kill hostage for ransom in Cox’s Bazar

Kidnappers have shot dead one of their three hostages in Teknaf upazila of Cox's Bazar on Friday.

The deceased Akhtar Ullah, 24, was killed as the demanded ransom of Tk20 lakh was not paid, said family members.

The criminals—suspected to be Rohingya robbers led by one Abdul Hakim—had been holding three farmers hostage for ransom.

On Friday morning, with help from locals, police found Akhtar’s body west of Putibunia Rohingya Camp in Howaikong union. 

The body reportedly contained a note demanding a hefty ransom for the release of the remaining hostages.

Police are continuing drives in the area to rescue the abducted farmers and arrest the kidnappers, said Sub-Inspector Moshiur Rahman, in-charge of Howaikong Police Outpost.

Police recovered the body and sent it for an autopsy to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital morgue, he added.

According to local sources, the kidnappings took place when six men were working in a paddy field in Minabazar of Howaikyang union on Wednesday night.

The kidnappers later released three of them—Abul Hashem, a farmer, and his two sons Reazuddin and Jamaluddin—in exchange for ransom.

However, the kidnappers held three others—Shahed, Akhtar Ullah and Md Idris—and demanded Tk20 lakh from their family members.

Meanwhile, Rapid Action Battalion is conducting air surveillance to catch the criminals allegedly led by notorious Abdul Hakim.