Thirteen young men from Nazimnagar village in Jamalganj upazila of Sunamganj were taken hostage in Libya by a mafia group after leaving home on January 28 to travel to Italy through human traffickers. The victims’ families said the traffickers had promised to send them to Italy for 1.3 million taka each. The group reached Libya via Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, and Egypt, but on February 25 they were captured by a Libyan gang that demanded 2.6 million taka per person in ransom, later reducing it to 1.2 million.

Families reported receiving distressing video calls showing the captives being tortured, with the kidnappers demanding money through mobile transfers. Some families have already sent money, selling land or borrowing from local lenders. One victim, Yasin Mia, managed to escape but was later arrested by Libyan police. Local brokers involved in the trafficking have gone into hiding.

Jamalganj police confirmed awareness of the incident but said no formal complaint had been filed yet. They stated that legal action would follow once an official complaint is received.