4 telecom workers abducted in CHT, company seeks govt intervention

Telecom infrastructure firm Sarbs Communication Ltd. has raised serious concerns over the recent abduction and disappearance of four of its employees from Chattogram and Khagrachhari districts. The company has called on the interim government, particularly the Home Affairs Adviser and local administration, to intervene urgently and ensure the safe recovery of the missing workers.

According to Sarbs Communication, the missing individuals are Mohammad Suman Islam (32), Abdur Rahim (36), Md. Ismail Miah, and Atre Marma. Suman and Rahim were reported missing around 7:00 PM on June 5 from the Karnaphuli Bazar area in Fatikchhari upazila of Chattogram. Ismail and Marma were abducted on April 19 at approximately 11:00 AM from Manikchhari upazila in Khagrachhari.

All four were working at Robi mobile towers operated by EDOCTO BD, a BTRC-approved telecom tower company, under a management and maintenance contract with Sarbs Communication.

In a press release, Sarbs stated that despite filing general diaries (GDs) with local police stations and informing the Ministry of Home Affairs, nearby army camps, and other administrative bodies, no progress has been made in recovering the missing workers, even after nearly two months.

The repeated incidents have sparked widespread fear and anxiety among the victims’ families, colleagues, and thousands of telecom workers serving in mobile network operations across the Chittagong Hill Tracts and beyond.

“These unresolved abductions are creating a climate of insecurity for telecom personnel. Without swift action and resolution, it will become increasingly difficult to maintain uninterrupted service in these critical regions,” the company warned.

Sarbs Communication, which has been managing tower operations in Chattogram and the hill districts since 2022, emphasized that its infrastructure supports essential services—including voice, data, and mobile banking—for major telecom providers such as Robi.

The company urged the government to take immediate and effective action to locate and return the abducted workers to their families in safe and sound condition.