After abducting a child in Dhaka, rickshaw driver sent him to Gaibandha home, RAB says

The motive for the abduction remains unclear, but RAB officers note that 41-year-old Chan Mia reportedly has no children of his own

A 3-year-old boy abducted outside Mugda Hospital in Dhaka was sent to his ancestral home in Gaibandha by the rickshaw driver who abducted him, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has said.

Following reports of the abduction, the driver, identified as 41-year-old Chan Mia, was arrested at Wireless Gate in Dhaka’s Moghbazar.

The child was rescued on Thursday after RAB interrogated Chan Mia.

RAB said Chan Mia transported the boy via a close relative to Gaibandha.

The exact motive behind the abduction remains unclear.

At a Friday afternoon press conference at RAB’s media centre in Karwanbazar, RAB officials confirmed that preliminary investigations found no evidence suggesting the child was sold or subjected to other criminal intent.

The RAB said investigation is ongoing.

Officers also noted that Chan Mia reportedly has no children of his own.

Alongside Chan Mia, his father Md Nur Mohammad, mother Chan Mala, and a woman named Mosammat Kulsum Begum were arrested in connection with the case.

The incident occurred on Wednesday at 1pm when Chan Mia, a battery-powered rickshaw driver, abducted the boy from outside Mugda Hospital.

The child’s father is abroad, while the mother and son reside in Sabujbagh, Dhaka.

A case was filed with Mugda Police the following day.

Within 24 hours, the RAB successfully recovered the child unharmed and arrested four individuals.

RAB’s Director of Law and Media, Wing Commander MZM Intekhab Chowdhury, said: “Chan Mia has a prior murder case in Gaibandha and a drug case at Mugda. He is a rickshaw driver and unknown to the child’s family.

The boy’s mother, physiotherapist Sumaiya Akter Mili, recounted: “I got off the rickshaw to buy water. He was playing in the rickshaw.

“When I returned with the water bill, both the rickshaw and my son had disappeared. It happened within seconds, and I immediately ran to ask everyone, but they were gone.”