The Mercury
Bangladeshi shopkeeper Solaiman Rahaman, left, who was released by his kidnappers, tells Magma Investigations chief Shaheen Suleiman about his ordeal. Photo: Shan Pillay
Durban – The Bangladeshi businessman kidnapped in Pietermaritzburg two weeks ago has been found alive and reunited with his family.
Solaiman Rahaman, 41, was dumped by his kidnappers on the side of a road near a sugar cane plantation on the North Coast in the early hours of Monday.
Dazed and confused, and not knowing what day it was or if it was late night or early morning, he stumbled through the dark looking for help.
He found his way along the freeway to Sibiya Casino where he borrowed a cellphone from someone at the casino to call his brother.
On Wednesday night, Rahaman told The Mercury that he was kept in a dark room in leg chains in an unknown location where he was tortured, starved and threatened.
“Every day they would tell me they wanted R100 000 or they would shoot me, but I kept saying that I had no money.”
He is not sure what made his captors change their minds, but he was then forced back into a car and dumped.
After a long rest he said he was thankful to be alive.
“I have my life and my brother and now I am happy,” said Rahaman.
His brother, Lockman Hossain, 35, said that he had battled alone for the past two weeks as he had not told their parents in Bangladesh about Rahaman’s disappearance.
He had feared that, in their old age, they would not be able to handle such traumatic news.
He told them for the first time on Wednesday morning and they were overjoyed that their son had been found.
Less than a week ago, Indian businessman Mosein Patel, 25, from Underberg, was reunited with his family after being kidnapped and held on the South Coast. Patel, who was also kept in chains, and held for 22 days, was released last week after his family paid R100 000 into the suspects’ bank account.
They had originally asked for R1 million.
Police officials have said that they are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding both incidents.
Magma Investigations chief Shaheen Suleiman, who was involved in both the cases, said he had pressurised individuals in the Pakistani community in Pietermaritzburg and believed that word got out that the police and the security company were on the verge of a breakthrough.
This could have been why the kidnappers released their hostage without a ransom being paid.
Rahaman, disappeared on July 19, while driving home after closing up his supermarket in Northdale, Pietermaritzburg.
He was apparently flagged down by a man on the side of the road and then forced out of his bakkie and pushed into a gold Toyota RunX by three men, witnesses said.
lauren.rawlins@inl.co.za
The Mercury
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