Three Sri Lankans Held Hostage in Bangladesh Rescued and Return Home

Staff Reporter | April 26, 2025

Three Sri Lankan nationals faced a harrowing ordeal during their visit to Bangladesh to explore investment opportunities. Invited under the guise of business, they were held hostage and a ransom of BDT 50 million was demanded.

Concerns have been raised about the security of foreign nationals in Bangladesh and the implications for the country’s investment-friendly image.

At a press conference on Thursday, Khulna Range Police revealed the victims’ identities as Malavi Pathirana, his wife Pathirana, and Thuppi Mudiyan Selag Neel. They arrived in Dhaka on April 22 and were taken to Mollahat in Bagerhat the same night, where they were confined and the ransom was demanded.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Khulna Range, Md. Rezaul Haque, stated that the kidnappers also contacted the victims’ families in Sri Lanka for the ransom. Negotiations led to an agreement for BDT 25 million. The Sri Lankan High Commission informed Bangladesh authorities, and police used technology to locate and rescue the hostages in the Dakshin Ambaria area.

Four suspects have been detained: Shahidul Sheikh (24), Emdad Hossain (52), Johnny Sheikh (38), and S.M. Shamsul Alam (40). Three of them have provided confessional statements under Section 164.

Reports indicate that Shahidul Sheikh and Emdad Hossain connected with the victims via social media, inviting them under the pretext of showcasing an aquarium fish production facility in Faridpur, leading to their abduction.

This incident has spotlighted the vulnerabilities foreign nationals might face in Bangladesh and its potential to affect perceptions of law and order.

Despite the ordeal, Malavi Pathirana graciously remarked, “We don’t want to judge all of Bangladesh negatively because of the actions of a few bad individuals.”

The rescued Sri Lankans were brought to Khulna before returning to their home country on Friday afternoon.