Police recovered the body of Shahidul Islam, 25, son of Hossain Ali of Gosaidangi, from a field in the village yesterday morning after his abduction on March 17.

The abductors earlier sent a message to his family demanding a ransom of Tk 2 lakh and threatened to kill him if the money wasn't paid by the evening of March 19.

The victim's body was sent to Kushtia Sadar Hospital for autopsy.

Three other people were abducted on the same day apparently by the same gang. One of them, a schoolteacher named Tapan Pal from Bharara, was released on Friday night upon payment of Tk 50,000, sources said.

The two others -- cloth trader Shyamal Kumar Pal, 45, from Dharmapara, and Zahidul Islam, 26, a student of Kushtia Islamia College -- are still being held hostage and are facing death unless a ransom of Tk 2 lakh is paid for each victim.

Although cases have been filed in connection with the kidnaps, police have so far been unable to make any headway in the investigation, sources said.