Rakib Mahajan dreamed of Italy. Instead, he died in a Libyan prison after three years of torture, his family stripped of everything they owned.
The 23-year-old from Pakhira village, Madaripur, paid brokers Tk 45 lakh in installments, trusting their promises of a new life. He never made it. His father, Nazim Uddin Mahajan, now sits in the ruins of his home. "I lost everything," he says, voice breaking. "They tortured and starved my son. I want justice."
Rakib’s story is not unique. It is a nightmare repeated across Madaripur, where hundreds of families have been reduced to destitution by a ruthless network of human traffickers.
A 30-year-old trap
For three decades, young men from Madaripur have risked everything to reach Italy via Libya. Many drown in the Mediterranean. Others are imprisoned, tortured, and held for ransom.
"The brokers are friendly at first," says a victim. "They promise Italy for Tk 12-15 lakh. But once you're in Libya, the price jumps to Tk 40-50. If you can’t pay, they torture you with beatings, starvation, electric shocks. They send videos to your family. Then they force you to sell your land, your house, to save your life."
There are three gangs in the chain: local brokers in Madaripur, their counterparts in Libya, and a mafia that runs the prisons. The money flows through all three, while the victims are trapped in a cycle of debt and despair.
Brokers in every village
An investigation has identified hundreds of brokers operating across Madaripur’s five upazilas – Sadar, Rajoir, Shibchar, Dasar, and Kalkini. Names like Miraj, Ilias, Sohag Munshi, Babul Hawlader, Kamal Matubbar, and Khokon Chokder are whispered in fear.
Their houses? Mostly locked and abandoned.
Their victims? Countless.
When reporters visited Durgabardi village, broker Elias Mir’s house was locked. So was Sohag Munshi’s near Taltola Bazar. His mother, Lutfun Nesa, emerged from a neighbor’s room: "People demand money from us. That’s why we live like this."
More than 100 people went to Libya through Sohag. Some reached Italy. Many remain hostages.
Families destroyed
Mahbub Sheikh, son of freedom fighter Sultan Sheikh, paid Tk 10 lakh to broker Milan of Badarpasha. The price soon rose to Tk 32 lakh. "I sold my land, mortgaged my house, took loans," says Sultan. "Now I am destitute."
Fifty youths returned home recently – empty-handed, landless, broken. They had paid brokers, Habib Fakir and Rubel Fakir, of Balia village. Now, they have nothing.
Abul Kalam Munshi lured at least 50 youths from Shibchar. Kamal Matubbar of Dasar took millions from Rajib Matubbar and others. "He promised Italy," Rajib says. "Instead, he sold me to the mafia. I was tortured, imprisoned, and finally deported. My family is ruined. I want justice."
Death at sea
The Mediterranean is a graveyard for Madaripur’s youth.
- February 14, 2024: 6 young men, including Sajeeb Kazi and Mamun Sheikh, drowned.
- June 17, 2024: Ali Howlader and Sabbir Akon died at sea.
- January 24, 2025: A boat capsized, killing 10 from Rajoir.
- February-March 2025: Saidul Bepari, Suman Howlader, and Nasir Matubbar died – two by torture, one at sea.
Over the past decade, more than 200 from Madaripur have drowned in the Mediterranean. Dozens are still missing.
Salma Akhter’s son, Solaiman, has been missing for five months. She paid Tk 35.4 lakh in ransom. "I haven’t found my son," she sobs. "Now the brokers are threatening us with false cases."
A system in denial
From 2020 to 2024, 315 human trafficking cases were filed in Madaripur – 18 at police stations, 297 in court accusing 1,139 individuals, only 155 have been arrested, charges pressed in 136 cases, 78 cases have been closed and 101 cases still under investigation.
But with no written evidence, weak enforcement, and brokers hiding, convictions are rare.
"Brokers are not being punished," says human rights activist Mashiur Rahman Parvez. "If they face real consequences, this trade will stop."
Farzana Akhter of Jago Unnayan Sangstha adds: "People are dying because the gangs aren’t eradicated. We need awareness, and we need our leaders to act."
Madaripur Additional Superintendent of Police (admin and finance) Bhaskar Saha admits: "Brokers are active everywhere. We take action when cases are filed. But many youths go willingly, knowing the risks. The brokers exploit that desperation."
In the villages of Madaripur, the dream of Italy lives on.
But so does the pain.
The poverty.
The graves.
And the brokers – still locked in their homes, still counting their millions, still waiting for the next desperate dreamer.