by Hafizur Rahman
Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar | March 18, 2026
Two teenage boys who went missing from Chattogram have been rescued from the hills of Teknaf, and three men have been arrested in connection with a suspected human trafficking network, police said.
The rescue operation was carried out on Tuesday morning in the Baroitoli hills area of Teknaf. According to police, the boys had been missing since February 1 from the Chandgaon area of Chattogram.
The case was initially recorded as a missing report. However, on February 26, it was converted into a human trafficking case after one of the victims’ fathers filed a formal complaint.
During the investigation, police arrested several suspects from different areas, including Chattogram, Chandpur, and Cox’s Bazar. Based on information obtained from the suspects, law enforcement conducted operations in the Kutupalong Rohingya camp and surrounding areas.
Police said the suspects are part of a trafficking network that sends people to Malaysia. The network is believed to include members from Bangladesh and other countries.
Investigators said the two boys were held in the Teknaf hills for about a week. The traffickers had planned to send them to Malaysia by boat. However, due to ongoing police operations, the suspects were forced to bring them back.
The rescued boys told police that they were initially deceived with promises of travel and later handed over to traffickers. They said they were beaten, and their families were asked to pay money.
Police confirmed that the victims had visible injury marks.
Authorities said the investigation is ongoing, and more arrests may follow as efforts continue to dismantle the trafficking network.
