DHAKA — Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officers have arrested a key suspect involved in a sophisticated transnational human trafficking syndicate operating out of Dhaka’s Keraniganj area. The suspect allegedly swindled a jobseeker out of 1.2 million Bangladeshi Taka under the fraudulent promise of securing an Australian work permit visa, before selling him to an overseas trafficking ring in Kazakhstan where he was subjected to brutal physical torture and unlawful confinement.
The arrest was carried out on Saturday night by a specialised operational unit from the RAB-10 Lalbagh camp. Confirming the development during a media briefing on Sunday afternoon, Senior Assistant Director (Media) Tapan Sarkar identified the accused as 46-year-old Md Qayyum, son of Shamsuddin, a resident of the Muslimnagar neighbourhood in South Keraniganj.
Australian Employment Promises Turn to Central Asian Nightmare
According to law enforcement authorities, the criminal scheme began on 17 December 2024, when Qayyum visited the home of the victim, Jewel Rana, and his wife. Exploiting a long-standing personal relationship with the family, the suspect promised that he could guarantee Jewel an official Australian work permit visa within twelve months. Qayyum quoted a fixed cost of 1.2 million Taka to process the travel clearance, employment contracts, and transit logistics.
Relying on these assurances, Jewel and his wife transferred the full 1.2 million Taka to Qayyum through a series of cash payments and direct bank transactions over several months. However, instead of facilitating legitimate travel to Australia, Qayyum and his accomplices engineered a deceptive transit route. Jewel was flown to Central Asia and handed over to an organised crime network operating in Kazakhstan.
Once in Kazakhstan, the victim was stripped of his freedom, held hostage, and subjected to systematic physical violence and extortion as the gang demanded additional funds from his family back in Bangladesh.
Police Investigation and Tactical Operations
The ordeal came to light after Jewel’s wife managed to ascertain her husband’s plight in Kazakhstan and lodged a formal complaint with the police in Bagharpara, within the Jessore district. Following a preliminary inquiry, officers registered a case on 6 April under the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act.
As the primary suspect evaded capture, the designated investigating officer formally requested operational assistance from RAB-10 to track down Qayyum. Law enforcement personnel deployed advanced digital tracking technologies and intelligence surveillance to trace his movements. The efforts culminated in a coordinated raid near the Hasnabad Bridge intersection in South Keraniganj on Saturday night, where officers apprehended Qayyum.
Widespread Challenge of Fraudulent Overseas Recruitment
The case underscores a persistent challenge in Bangladesh, where fraudulent manpower agents and unregistered brokers exploit aspiring migrant workers through false promises of lucrative employment abroad. Trapped by high recruitment costs and deceptive contracts, victims frequently end up in secondary transit countries facing forced labour, severe abuse, or extortion schemes.
Following his arrest, RAB confirmed that Qayyum has been handed over to the Bagharpara Police Station for formal processing and court presentation. Investigators are expanding their probe to identify local accomplices and trace the international syndicate members responsible for holding Bangladeshi nationals hostage overseas.
