Staff Reporter :
The Arakan Army, an insurgent group in Myanmar, has allegedly abducted four Bangladeshi fishermen at gunpoint, along with their trawler, while they were fishing near the mouth of the Naf River in Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf.
The incident occurred around 11:30 AM on Tuesday near Shahporir Dwip in Sabrang Union, according to Lieutenant HM Sartaj Bin Sohrab, commander of the Coast Guard’s Shahporir Dwip Station.
The abducted fishermen have been identified as Md Hasan (30), Abdu Rokim (20), Md Jaber (26), and Md Hasan (16), all residents of Dakshinpara in Sabrang Union, Teknaf.
Lieutenant Sohrab stated that the fishermen were fishing as usual when armed individuals approached them in a speedboat from the Myanmar side.
Quoting locals, he said the assailants surrounded the trawler at gunpoint and then took both the vessel and the fishermen into Myanmar.
Locals later informed the Coast Guard of the incident, prompting senior authorities, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and other relevant officials to take action.
“The Coast Guard has increased surveillance on the Naf River and launched a rescue operation for the abducted fishermen,” the official said.
Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sheikh Ehsan Uddin confirmed that he had received reports of the abduction from local representatives and residents.
“The BGB and relevant authorities are working to rescue the fishermen. Due to the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, most areas across the border are under the control of the Arakan Army. It is believed that members of the Arakan Army may have carried out the abduction,” he said.
In response to the incident, the BGB and the Coast Guard have intensified security and surveillance along the Naf River border.
