Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) handed over bank manager Nizam Uddin on Friday after being rescued from his abductors.
Imran Khan, assistant superintendent of police (ASP) of the RAB headquarters media wing, confirmed the matter on Friday morning.
Later, RAB (Legal and Media Wing) Director Commander Khandaker Al Moin briefed reporters at the Bandarban District Council Auditorium at 11am on Friday, reports UNB.
Mentioning that there was no financial transaction to rescue the bank manager, the RAB official said, "So far, the operation has been stopped due to negotiations with the peace committee. We believed in the doctrine that all the demands of the KNF would be resolved through the Peace Committee."
"But on the night of April 2, bank robbery in Ruma upazila, abduction of manager, 14 weapons from ansar and police, and snatching of mobile phones from worshippers entering the mosque, all avenues of peace dialogue were closed," he said.
He added that armed groups are carrying out such acts to prove their existence and capability. In the same way, attacks have been carried out in Thanchi. He said the operation of law enforcement agencies, including RAB, is going on.
The KNF had previously carried out various activities for the training of militants, collecting weapons, and financial prosperity here. Law enforcement stopped it, Commander Moin also said.
Meanwhile, the exchange of gunfire between police, BGB, and KNF in Thanchi upazila last night stopped at 11pm. No casualties were reported in the incident. Thanchi Upazila Chairman Thoaihla Maung said the situation in the upazila is normal at the moment.
Earlier on Thursday night, the RAB members rescued the bank manager from the Bathel Para area of Bandarban through mediation, he said.
On Thursday afternoon, Nizam Uddin's wife, Nazmul Nahar, said the armed separatist group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) demanded Tk 15 lakh from his family as ransom.
The separatist group kidnapped the Sonali Bank's Ruma upazila branch manager on Tuesday, April 2, and tried to loot Tk 1.5 crore from the vault of the Ruma branch. Unable to take the money, they kidnapped the bank manager.
They also carried out robberies at Sonali Bank and Krishi Bank branches in Thanchi upazila of Bandarban on Wednesday.
4 cases filed
A total of four cases have been filed in Ruma, and Thanchi Upazilas of Bandarban over the bank robbery and the abduction of a bank official in the district.
Three cases were lodged with Ruma Upazila and another with Thanchi police station in this regard, Additional Superintendent of Police Md Raihan Kazem said on Friday, reports BSS.
He said that a case was filed against unknown persons over the bank robbery.
Meanwhile, after inspecting the Thanchi police station, Chattogram range ADIG of police, Sanjay Sarkar said that Kuki fired at the police station.
Earlier on Thursday, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) rescued Nezam Uddin, manager of Sonali Bank's Ruma branch in the district, who was abducted during the robbery, he said.
On Tuesday night, the members of the armed group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) attacked the Ruma Upazila Parishad office, tried to rob Sonali Bank's Ruma Branch in Bandarban, and abducted its manager Nezam Uddin.
He also said, "We are trying to collect CCTV footage. What their ultimate target is under investigation."
