A student from the Law Department of Cumilla University was rescued four hours after being abducted from the Toa Housing area of Cumilla city early Friday.

Police rescued Shakil Ahmed Sobuj with the help of students from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, confirmed Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohinul Islam of Cumilla Kotwali Model Police Station.

He said, “We have rescued the victim and sent him to hospital for treatment.”

The incident occurred when Shakil, a student from the 2019–20 academic session, was returning to campus after tuition at around 10:30 pm on Thursday.

He boarded an auto-rickshaw in Cumilla city, where the abductors were also present. Upon reaching Daulatpur, they attempted to take him in the wrong direction. Realising the danger, Shakil jumped out of the vehicle.

He then took another auto-rickshaw to head back to campus, but the abductors followed him. They eventually held a knife to his stomach, forced him to move through various city locations, and confined him in an abandoned building in the Toa Housing area.

Later, they demanded a ransom of Tk 10,000 from his family.

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The police have detained one of the abductors, Md. Nahid (20), son of Abul Kashem from Cumilla’s Satara area. During initial interrogation, Nahid confessed to the crime and revealed the names of his four accomplices: Jihad (19), son of Harun Mia from Bishnupur; Saiful (20), son of Akter Molla from Jhautola; Shahin (20) from Faujdaripara; and Akash (20).

Muhammad Sakib Husain, the Cumilla district convener of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said they informed the police immediately after learning of the matter. The police later tracked the location to the Toa Housing area.

“With the cooperation of some students from the university and the city, along with police efforts, Shakil was safely rescued,” he added.