KNF demands 15L for release of abducted Sonali Bank manager

The armed separatist group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) on Thursday demanded Tk15 lakh in ransom payment for the release of Sonali Bank Bandarban Ruma upazila branch manager Nizam Uddin, abducted during a robbery on Tuesday.

Nizam Uddin’s wife, Nazmul Nahar, a teacher at Bandarban Cantonment Public School and College, revealed the matter to the media shorty shortly after she received a phone call from the KNF, reports UNB.

In a press conference at the conference room of Bandarban Zilla Parishad on Thursday morning, its chairman, Kyaw Shwe Hla, refused to hold any discussion with the KNF until it releases the abducted bank manager, returns 14 looted weapons and money, and stops all kinds of criminal activities.

Kyaw Shwe, also president of the district peace committee, said a meeting with the participation of representatives from several groups to facilitate KNF members’ return to normal life was held on May 29 last year.

On June 30, an 18-member peace committee was formed with the coordination of local leaders. Later, several virtual meetings between the peace committee and the KNF were held to return peace in the district, he said.

On November 5 last year and March 5 this year, a couple of in-person dialogues with the group were held and two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed when the KNF affirmed that it would suspend all armed activities, Kyaw Shwe said.

As part of its criminal activities, the separatist group kidnapped the Sonali Bank manager on Tuesday and looted Tk1.5 crore from the Ruma branch.

The incident occurred during Taraweeh prayers. The robbers also took away 14 weapons from the Ansar members guarding the bank and abducted the bank manager from the mosque on the bank premises.

They carried out robberies at Sonali Bank and Krishi Bank branches in Thanchi upazila, Bandarban, on Wednesday.