A mason by profession, Mahbub is among the four who have fallen victim to human trafficking in Cox's Bazar.
"Rahu uncle of our village first requested us to accompany him for a travel. We have complied and when reached a place after a while we find that we're handed over to a broker. We were taken away by a bus to a place unknown to put into custody at a BGB check-post. We were mentally tortured during our stay there for nearly an hour. One Habibullah, a BGB personnel sold us to Taiyab, a broker, for Tk 1 lakh 25 thousand. That broker took us by a motor cycle and then confined us in a room. There we were severely beaten. Even we were not served water to drink, " Mahbub said in a deposition before a Cox's Bazar court emerging from the district jail on bail on Monday.
He and the other three victims told a horrendous story at the court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Moinuddin Murad about how they were trafficked with the help of some greedy personnel of Border Guard Bangladesh.
From their statements, it was also revealed that such a heinous crime like human trafficking has long been carried on from various points of the district.
Mahbub's father Abdul Alim alias Mofizul is a simpleton. Coming to the court for the first time for his son's bail he was extremely surprised. "My son went to Madhabdi Bazar and did not return. Later from Teknaf he phoned me to send money." The poor father said.
The puzzled Mofizul put his feelings in words: "When BGB is supposed to control all sorts of crime including human trafficking, it is absolutely unacceptable that they are involved in those. On investigation, anybody is found guilty, legal steps should be taken."
Another victim, Mehdi Hasan, also gave description of how he was trafficked. He said, "Rahu broker lured us to feed 'biriany' and then took us to a place to hand over to another broker, Chhalu, who put us on a microbus. Chhalu took us to Cox's Bazar. Later, he abandoned us there to get us into BGB custody. The BGB men handed over to traffickers."
Mehdi, son of late Mahtab Hossain, is a student of class VIII at Nurullahpur High School in Narsingdi district.
Another victim, Shamim, said at the jail gate: "I am a worker at a textile mill. Rahu uncle asked us to go gor a walk to a park and then put on a vehicle. That vehicle landed us in Cox's Bazar. After this a man came and take us to start for Teknaf in a vehicle. On the way we were taken into custody at a BGB check-post. There a BGB member asked us where will you go? which is better--jail or Malaysia?"
He further said, "When we said Malaysia is preferable we were locked in a room for trafficking. Rescuing us from there BGB handed us over to police station."
Shamim is a son of Idris Ali of Nuralapur area of Narsingdi.
Abdullah, another victim, said a similar story in an emotion-chocked voice. "In a false hope of being sent to Malaysia via Cox's Bazar we were taken into custody by the BGB on the way. But we became worried when we found ourselves transferred to brokers," he said.
A BGB member told us : "Do you have money? Where will you go-to jail or to Malaysia?
Abdullah is an Alim class student of a local Madrasa. A son of Jainal Abedin, he hails from Nuralapur Balbadi area in Narsingdi.
The four victims have given depositions under clause 164.
After searching the house of Mohammad Syed Alam of Dail village under West Teknaf 42 BGB arrested the four victims on November 7 last. Later they were handed over to Teknaf police station.
Later, a case was filed under human trafficking law at Teknaf police station.
Following this police arrested three brokers from the court area on the night of November 8 last. The arrested persons are Javed (32), son of Anwar of Teknaf's Sabranj Ali , Akil (30), son of Sultan Ahmed, and Ismail, son of Nur Ahmed. All of them are recognised brokers of human trafficking. But at least ten more brokers escaped. Police have applied for seven days' remand of the attested persons.
Sub Inspector (SI) Abdur Rahim, the investigation officer of Teknaf police station, said, "As per depositions of the victims investigation is going on. By now three accused have been arrested."
BGB's Cox's Bazar Sector Commander Colonel Khandakar Farid Hasan said, "We have heard about such things. The matter is being investigated. A responsible official concerned has been instructed to probe it."