UNB, Bagerhat :
Fifteen suspected forest robbers were killed in mass beating and ‘gunfight’ with police and RAB at separate places in the Sundarbans during the last three days till Wednesday as extortion and kidnapping marked a sharp rise despite regular drives against the criminals.
At least 13 suspected robbers were killed in separate incidents of mass beating and ‘shootout’ with police at Derutigram in Paikgachha and Hardakaliboghi in between Paikgachha and Koira upazilas of the district early Sunday.
Villagers caught ‘red-handed’ the 13 ‘robbers’ while they were taking Proshanta Kumar Dhali, a lecturer of a local college, towards the Sundarbans after abducting him on Friday night.
Later, two of the robbers were killed in mass beating while 11 others were handed over to police.
As police launched a drive at Hardakaliboghi in between Paikgachha and Koira upazilas along with the robbers for recovering firearms, the robbers tried to escape firing shots at the cops, triggering a gunfight that left all the 11 robbers dead on the spot.
Meanwhile, two ‘forest robbers’ were killed in a gunfight with members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) at Mrigomari of the East Sundarbans in Mongla upazila on Wednesday morning.
The deceased were identified as Zakir and Raju, belonging to notorious robber gang ‘Awal Bahini’.
With the killing of the 15 forest robbers, at least 77 forest robbers were killed in ‘gunfights’ with law enforcers in the last four years, Rab sources said.
Despite massive drives by Coast Guard and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), organised gangs of forest robbers still remain the biggest scare for the fishermen, woodcutters and other low-income people living in villages adjacent to the Sundarbans.
According to the fishermen and law enforcers, over 25 robbers and pirates gang unleashed a reign of terror in the Bay of Bengal and the Sundarbans kidnapping innocent and poor fishermen, woodcutters for ransoms, and hijacking fish and fishing trawlers.
Rab-8 commander Lt Col Faridul Alam said Rab members have been patrolling the Sundarbans regularly to check the activities of the forest robbers. Due to regular Rab operations, the incidents of robbery and kidnapping have marked a fall to some extent, he said.
Fifteen suspected forest robbers were killed in mass beating and ‘gunfight’ with police and RAB at separate places in the Sundarbans during the last three days till Wednesday as extortion and kidnapping marked a sharp rise despite regular drives against the criminals.
At least 13 suspected robbers were killed in separate incidents of mass beating and ‘shootout’ with police at Derutigram in Paikgachha and Hardakaliboghi in between Paikgachha and Koira upazilas of the district early Sunday.
Villagers caught ‘red-handed’ the 13 ‘robbers’ while they were taking Proshanta Kumar Dhali, a lecturer of a local college, towards the Sundarbans after abducting him on Friday night.
Later, two of the robbers were killed in mass beating while 11 others were handed over to police.
As police launched a drive at Hardakaliboghi in between Paikgachha and Koira upazilas along with the robbers for recovering firearms, the robbers tried to escape firing shots at the cops, triggering a gunfight that left all the 11 robbers dead on the spot.
Meanwhile, two ‘forest robbers’ were killed in a gunfight with members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) at Mrigomari of the East Sundarbans in Mongla upazila on Wednesday morning.
The deceased were identified as Zakir and Raju, belonging to notorious robber gang ‘Awal Bahini’.
With the killing of the 15 forest robbers, at least 77 forest robbers were killed in ‘gunfights’ with law enforcers in the last four years, Rab sources said.
Despite massive drives by Coast Guard and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), organised gangs of forest robbers still remain the biggest scare for the fishermen, woodcutters and other low-income people living in villages adjacent to the Sundarbans.
According to the fishermen and law enforcers, over 25 robbers and pirates gang unleashed a reign of terror in the Bay of Bengal and the Sundarbans kidnapping innocent and poor fishermen, woodcutters for ransoms, and hijacking fish and fishing trawlers.
Rab-8 commander Lt Col Faridul Alam said Rab members have been patrolling the Sundarbans regularly to check the activities of the forest robbers. Due to regular Rab operations, the incidents of robbery and kidnapping have marked a fall to some extent, he said.
