Police and locals said about 20,000 agitated people from 16 villages of Hossainpur upazila and six villages in Nandail upazila simultaneously attacked the houses after an anti-abduction meeting attended by two superintendents of police (SP) and seven union parishad (UP) chairmen on the premises of Bonagram Primary School in Nandail upazila.

The mob also looted quilts, domestic animals, including cows and goats, and other belongings from the houses, alleged one of the house owners who were suspected to be involved in the incidents of kidnapping.

Lutfur Rahman Mondal, police superintendent of Kishoreganj, said four of the affected house owners have been identified as Sekander, Kuddus, Taher and Mati of Tekpara village in Hossainpur upazila and they are accused in robbery cases.

Police and locals said at least 20 people were abducted from the villages of two upazilas in the last three months and five were abducted in a week.

Locals alleged that the abductors killed the victims and dumped the bodies if their families failed to pay the ransom money as demanded. The said the people of 22 villages of the two upazilas have been passing sleepless nights for the last few months.

A memorandum was submitted to the deputy commissioner (DC) of Kishoreganj yesterday demanding immediate action against the abductors.