4 missing students from Thakurgaon rescued in Sylhet

Police have rescued four female students who went missing from Baliadangi Upazila in Thakurgaon. The girls left home on the pretext of going for private tuition but did not return. They were rescued from a ticket counter at Kadamtali Bus Terminal in South Surma, Sylhet, while waiting to go towards Gowainghat on Wednesday afternoon (1 July).

South Surma Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Ashrafuzzaman confirmed the matter.

OC Ashrafuzzaman said that in the afternoon, police received information about three girls waiting at the passenger area of Kadamtali Bus Terminal and rescued them. During initial questioning, the students said they left home for a trip, travelled via Dinajpur and took a bus to Sylhet, reaching there around noon. After rescue, they were taken to the police station and their families were informed. Further action will be taken once the family members arrive and more details are known, he added.

Baliadangi Police Station OC Bulbul Islam said that with the help of technology, it was learned on Tuesday night that the girls were heading towards Dhaka. On Wednesday, they were traced in the Sylhet area and rescued around 2:30pm with the help of South Surma Police. They are currently in police custody.

According to police and family sources, the four students left home on Tuesday morning saying they were going for private tuition and did not return. All four belong to the minority community, study at the same school and are residents of the same village. Three of them are Class 10 students and one is in Class 8. The incident created tension in the area and the families became extremely worried. The guardians filed a general diary (GD) at Baliadangi Police Station the same night.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Snehashish Kumar Das of Ranishankail Circle in Thakurgaon said the four girls were identified while waiting at a bus counter in Sylhet city. They were waiting to go towards Gowainghat. It is suspected that they fell into the trap of a human trafficking gang. A police team from Baliadangi Police Station has already left for Sylhet to bring them back. Detailed information will be shared once they return, he added.