Two Bangladeshis, who were in a group the terrorist group ISIS held hostage in Libya, have been released after 18 days, the foreign ministry has confirmed. Helal Uddin of Jamalpur and Mohammed Anowar Hossain of Noakhali were released on Tuesday evening and were taken to Sirte hospital for check-ups. The physical conditions of both of them are “reportedly normal”. They along with seven more foreigners were taken hostage on Mar 6 when gunmen invaded the Al-Ghani oil field south of Libya’s Sirte city, 700 kilometres from capital Tripoli. The release came after Helal’s wife Aleya Begum said her husband called her from captivity on Tuesday. He told her wife that he had overheard his captors discussing their release “within a day or two”. They could be released because of the “prompt initiatives” and “constant efforts” of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as Bangladesh embassy in Libya, the ministry said in a statement. Bangladesh mission in Tripoli earlier said that they were trying “heart and soul to rescue them”. The terrorist group hogged the spotlight last year by announcing a ‘Caliphate’ after seizing vast swathes of Iraq and Syria after al Qaeda’s activities ebbed due to heavy attack from the West. This two were the first known Bangladeshis to have abducted by them. The foreign ministry quoting the Bangladesh ambassador in Tripoli said that they were “expected to be brought to the concerned company’s Tripoli office tomorrow (Wednesday)”. They were employees of VAOS, an Australian oil company.– bdnews24.com
