They cut off my leg: Boy recounts ordeal under begging gang

A 12-year-old boy has returned to his family after allegedly being abducted by a criminal gang, having his right leg cut off and being forced to beg at Kamalapur Railway Station in Dhaka for seven months.

Rayhan Uddin, from Satgar Nayapara in Chunti union of Lohagara upazila in Chattogram, had left home about seven months ago after becoming upset with his stepmother, telling his family he was going out to get a haircut.

His father, Nazim Uddin, eventually found him on Sunday night (September 12) during the closing programme of a 19-day Seerat Mahfil in Chunti. A neighbour alerted him after spotting Rayhan at the event, prompting Nazim to rush there and bring his son home.

Rayhan alleged that after leaving home, he travelled by bus to Cox’s Bazar, where members of a gang lured him to Dhaka. He claimed they then cut off his right leg and forced him to beg at Kamalapur Railway Station.

According to Rayhan, he was required to hand over Tk 500 from his daily earnings to members of the gang. He also claimed that several other children were being held by the same group, although he did not know their identities.

Rayhan said he managed to escape while taking advantage of the Seerat Mahfil and travelled to Lohagara, where he unexpectedly encountered his father.

The boy’s return has sparked anger among local residents, who gathered to see him after learning about his condition and demanded that those responsible be identified and brought to justice.

Nazim said the family had searched extensively for his son after his disappearance but had been unable to trace him.

“I want the maximum punishment for those who have brought my son to this condition,” he said.