Published: 10:20 PM, 06 October 2026
CID arrests 2 alleged human traffickers
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested two alleged members of a human trafficking syndicate accused of luring a Bangladeshi migrant with promises of sending him safely to Italy, before trafficking him through Egypt to Libya, where he was allegedly held captive and tortured.
The two suspects were arrested during a CID operation in front of the Civil Aviation Welfare Market at Ashkona Hajj Camp under Dhaka's Airport Police Station at around 5:00pm on Monday, according to a CID press release.
The arrested men are Md Atikur Rahman Thomas, 32, and Md Badiul Alam Bhuiyan alias Belal, 54.
According to the CID, the victim, a resident of Senbagh in Noakhali, had worked in Saudi Arabia for nearly three years. While returning to Bangladesh, he met a fellow passenger who subsequently introduced him to a member of a human trafficking network.
The alleged traffickers promised to send him safely to Italy through Libya for Taka 12 lakh.
As part of the arrangement, the victim deposited his passport at an office in Ashkona on April 5, 2026, and paid Taka 1.30 lakh as an advance. Two days later, he was sent first to New Delhi and then to Colombo, Sri Lanka.
He reportedly stayed in Colombo for around 16 days, during which the syndicate allegedly collected additional money from his family on various pretexts. He was subsequently sent via Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Cairo, Egypt.
After arriving at Cairo airport, a member of the syndicate took the victim to a house, where he was allegedly held for about five days. The traffickers then demanded another US$6,000, citing the terms of the previous agreement.
According to the complaint, the victim and his family ultimately paid around Taka 12.67 lakh through cash, bKash and bank transactions.
The victim was later transported by road from Egypt to Libya, allegedly through remote desert and mountainous border areas. In Libya, he was reportedly held in a so-called "game room" by an alleged associate of the trafficking network and subjected to physical and psychological abuse.
He was subsequently detained by Libyan law enforcement along with others and sent to prison. While he was in detention, the syndicate allegedly demanded another Taka six lakh from his family in exchange for arranging his release.
The victim was eventually repatriated to Bangladesh on October 16, 2024, according to the CID.
After returning home, he filed a case himself at Airport Police Station on October 5, 2026, accusing members of the trafficking network under multiple provisions of the Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Prevention and Suppression Act, 2026.
Following the CID's takeover of the investigation, investigators analysed available information and gathered intelligence to identify the suspects' whereabouts. The two accused named in the case were subsequently arrested in the Ashkona area.
The arrested suspects have been sent to court with a request for remand for interrogation while the investigation into the case remains ongoing.
