A Bangladesh Army soldier was seriously injured in an intense gunfight between joint forces and armed criminals during a raid on a hideout of the notorious human trafficking syndicate known as the ‘Saddam Group’ in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar. Three members of the trafficking gang were arrested, while 57 Bangladeshi and Rohingya nationals held captive were rescued.

The raid was conducted around 3:00pm on Thursday (November 5) in a hilly area adjacent to the Muchoni Registered Rohingya Camp in Hnila Union of Teknaf.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a joint operational team comprising members of the Bangladesh Army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and police launched the operation based on confidential intelligence.

Sensing the presence of the joint forces, armed members of the trafficking gang opened indiscriminate fire targeting law enforcement personnel. The joint forces returned fire in self-defence and to bring the situation under control, triggering an intense exchange of gunfire.

During the confrontation, soldier Titas Sheikh, 27, who was at the forefront of the operation, sustained serious bullet injuries.

Titas Sheikh is serving with the Bangladesh Army’s 1 BIR unit. His army service number is 4519517. He has been serving in the army for nine years and hails from Faridpur district. He was rescued from the scene and rushed to a hospital for advanced medical treatment.

Following the operation, the joint forces arrested three members of the human trafficking syndicate. A subsequent search of the hideout led to the rescue of 57 people who had been held captive. The rescued individuals include both Bangladeshi and Rohingya nationals.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the victims, both men and women, had been brought to Teknaf from different parts of the country with promises of a better life. They were subsequently confined to the hilly hideout with the intention of trafficking them by sea to Malaysia and other countries.

The ISPR said the joint forces had conducted the operation against the human trafficking network. Legal proceedings against the arrested individuals are underway.