Dhaka: Three Sri Lankan citizens, who were kidnapped in Bangladesh while exploring business opportunities, have been rescued by the police and safely returned to their home country on Friday, according to Khulna Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Md. Rezaul Haque.
The victims, identified as Malavi Pathirana, his wife Pathirana, and Thuppi Mudiyanselage Neel, were rescued on Wednesday night (April 23) from a house in Mollahat Upazila, Bagerhat district, in southwestern Bangladesh.
According to police, the three Sri Lankans arrived in Bangladesh on April 22 at the invitation of Shahidul Sheikh, a local resident, who lured them with business prospects. That same night, they were taken to Bagerhat, where the kidnappers demanded a ransom of BDT 50 million (approximately USD 470,000). When the victims stated they could not pay, the kidnappers contacted their families in Sri Lanka, demanding the ransom through a Bangladeshi phone number.
Following the family's communication with the Sri Lankan High Commission, which coordinated with the Bangladesh government, police used technology to locate the victims and conducted a raid to rescue them. Four suspects—Kazi Emdad Hossain, Shahidul Sheikh, Joni Sheikh, and SM Samsul Alam—were arrested in connection with the kidnapping. Three of the suspects confessed to their involvement and provided statements under Section 164.
DIG Md. Rezaul Haque revealed during a press conference on Thursday that the kidnappers had connected with the victims through social media, using the pretext of business opportunities to lure them to Bangladesh.
Speaking at the press conference, Malavi Pathirana expressed gratitude and said, "I do not want to hold negative views about the people of Bangladesh because of the actions of a few bad individuals."
After their rescue, the Sri Lankan nationals were brought to Khulna for initial questioning. They departed for Sri Lanka on Friday afternoon.
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