According to Jesim Uddin Khan, Special Superintendent of Police at CID’s media wing, 175 Bangladeshi nationals were repatriated from Tripoli, Libya, on a chartered flight that landed in Dhaka at 6:31 AM. The group traveled with outpasses (travel permits) issued by the Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli. During routine questioning and data collection as per the Ministry of Home Affairs’ protocols, Sakhawat Hossain was identified as a wanted suspect in a human trafficking case based on intelligence provided by the National Security Intelligence (NSI). He was subsequently detained by the CID.
A CID press release revealed that Sakhawat, a resident of Madhuai village in Feni Sadar Upazila, has been involved in operating a mafia syndicate in Libya for an extended period. During initial interrogation, he admitted to trafficking approximately 400 to 500 Bangladeshis to Italy via four boats, amassing significant profits through these illegal activities.
The CID further disclosed that Sakhawat faces charges in two human trafficking cases: one filed on March 4, 2025, at Kishoreganj Sadar Police Station, and another on March 17, 2025, at Dhaka’s Airport Police Station.
According to the press release, Sakhawat provided information about other members of the trafficking network during questioning. Among them is Md. Shawkat Ali, 47, a traffic helper at Biman Bangladesh Airlines, along with four to five other unidentified individuals. The syndicate allegedly lured victims with promises of a better life abroad, engaging in human trafficking, detention, and extortion of ransom.
