Saturday | 5 October 2024 | Reg No- 06
বাংলা
   
Saturday | 5 October 2024 | Epaper
BREAKING: ● 3 die in Sherpur flood; 60,000 stranded      ● Ex-president Badruddoza Chowdhury passes away      ● Killing during students' movement: 9 bodies to be exhumed in Sylhet      ● Malaysian prime minister leaves Dhaka for home      ● CA seeks Malaysian support for Bangladesh to be ASEAN dialogue partner      ● Malaysian PM assures of attention to 18,000 Bangladesh workers       ● Bid to kill Khaleda Zia: Sheikh Hasina among 113 sued      

Abducted Sonali Bank manager rescued

Published : Friday, 5 April, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 303
Our Correspondent
BANDARBAN, Apr 4: The abducted manager of Sonali Bank Ruma branch in Bandarban was rescued through the mediation of the Rapid Action Battalion on Thursday.

RAB-15 Commanding Officer Lt Col HM Sajjad Hossain said they rescued the bank manager, Nizam Uddin from the Ruma Bazar area.

 He has been taken to Bandarban RAB camp, he said. KNF demanded Tk 15 lakh from his family to free the bank manager.

Earlier in the day, Nizam Uddins wife, Nazmul Nahar, said the armed separatist group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) demanded Tk 15 lakh from his family as ransom.

Nahar, a teacher of Bandarban Cantonment Public School and College, revealed the matter to the media shortly after she received a phone call from the KNF.

As part of the criminal activities, the separatist group kidnapped the Sonali Bank manager on April 2 and looted Tk 1.5 crore from the Ruma branch.

The incident occurred during Tarabih  prayers. The robbers looted 14 weapons from the Ansar members guarding the bank and abducted bank manager Nizam from the mosque on the bank premises.

They carried out robberies at Sonali Bank and Krishi Bank branches in Thanchi upazila, Bandarban, on Wednesday, in a similar incident at a Sonali Bank branch in Ruma upazila In a press conference at the conference room of Bandarban Zilla Parishad on Thursday morning, its chairman Kyaw Shwe Hla denied to hold any discussion with KNF until it releases the abducted bank manager, returns looted 14 arms, money and stop all kinds of criminal activities.

Kyaw Shwe, also president of the district peace committee, said a view-exchange meeting with the participation of representatives from several groups to facilitate KNF members return to normal life was held on May 29 last year.

On June 30, 18-member peace committee was formed with the coordination of local leaders. Later several virtual meetings between the peace committee and the KNF were held to return peace in the district, he said.

On November 5 last year and March 5 this year, a couple of in-person dialogues  with the group  were held and two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed when KNF assured that it will suspended all armed activities , he informed.

On the other hand, banking activities of Bangladesh Krishi Bank and Sonali Bank in the districts Thanchi upazila branch have remained suspended since Wednesday.

In Ruma and Rowangchhari upazilas, activities of Krishi Bank remained normal while that of Sonali Bank remained suspended.

The armed bank robberies in Bandarbans Thanchi have spurred fear among the locals and streets seemed empty one day after the attack.

The shops opened on Thursday morning in Thanchi Sadar Upazila, but foot traffic was minimal in the marketplace area.

According to Jashim Uddin, the general secretary of the Thanchi Traders Association, shops were closed on Wednesday as people were scared to step outside of their homes following the attacks.

According to the shop owner, the armed robbers, including female gang members, opened fire to scare the locals before leaving the scene.

The bank robberies have caused panic across the three hilly districts ahead of the Bengali New Year and Eid. Several banks have also sent official letters to their branches in Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban following the attacks to ensure safety.

According to locals, the armed robbers headed towards Shahjahan para through Chanda para after the heist.  "The marketplace is around 2-3 kilometres away from that area. We fear the armed men may still be there," a local said.



LATEST NEWS
MOST READ
Also read
Ctg Port activities increase in 1st quarter of current fiscal
11 power deals including with Adani being reviewed
UN council backs Guterres after Israel deems him 'persona non grata'
Wouldn't let nation be divided on basis of party, religion: Jamaat Ameer
BAIRA urges action against recruitment syndicate 
Farhad Mazhar hospitalised
Interim govt's 3rd round dialogue with political parties today
Attack on Durga Puja pandals in BD undesirable: New Delhi 
Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Online: 41053014; Advertisement: 41053012.
E-mail: info©dailyobserverbd.com, news©dailyobserverbd.com, advertisement©dailyobserverbd.com, For Online Edition: mailobserverbd©gmail.com
🔝