Hafizur Rahman, 25, son of Daud Hossain and a betel leaf trader, was abducted from his betel leaf enclosure. Police said seven criminals picked up him at gunpoint when he was guarding the crop with his nephew Jalal at 3:30am.

The captors later demanded the sum over cellphone and threatened to kill Hafiz if his family failed to pay, police said.

This was the first abduction reported in Kushtia in the year 2005. As many as 119 people including 48 school and college students were kidnapped last year.

A few organised outfits of criminals and outlaws are reportedly carrying out abduction, police and families of victims say.