5 fishermen kidnapped in Sundarbans
Bagerhat Correspondent :
Bandits Jahangir Bahini kidnapped 5 fishermen along with a trawler in the Shelarchar area under the Eastern Division of Sundarbans (in Bagerhat district).
The incident took place at around 11-30 pm on Saturday. The bandits have demanded a ransom of Tk.5 lakh from the fishermen.
On the other hand, two fishermen who were kidnapped in the Sundarbans three days ago were released after paying a ransom of over Tk.10 lakh and returned to Shelarchar on Sunday morning.
NurulHaque Sheikh (of RampalUpazila in the district), a fish trader and moneylender of the fishermen kidnapped from Shelarchar in the Sharankhola forest Range of the Easern Sundarbans Forest Division said on his mobile phone on Sunday were fishing in the Kalamia area of Shelarchar in the Sundarbans.
At that time, the bandits Jahangir Bahini appeared there by a boat, beat up his fishermen, put 3 fishermen on another boat and kidnapped 5 fishermen along with a trawler.
While leaving, the bandits demanded a ransom of Tk.5 lakh and gave the fishermen their mobile numbers.
The kidnapped fishermen are Kochi (45), Hirak (35), Salam (40), Rabiul (35) and Mujahid (26). The fishermen hail from the village Bashtali under Rampal upazila in Bagerhat district.
On the other hand, three days ago (January 15) two fishermen who were kidnapped by the bandits Jahangir Bahini in the Ambaria area of Dubla in the Sundarbans returned to Shelarchar on Sunday morning after paying a ransom of Tk.1 lakh 20 thousand.
The returning fishermen are A. Kader (35) ofRajoir village of SharankholaUpazila and RabiulMolla (30) of Khontakata village.
ShahidNazir, a moneylender of fishermen who returned from the hostage of bandits said on his mobile phone on Sunday morning that Tk 120,000 was sent to two Bikash numbers given by the bandits on Saturday to free his two fishermen, but the bandits put the hostage fishermen on a boat at night and released them.
Assistant Forest Ranger Milton Roy, the Officer-in-charge of Dubla Forest Patrol Outpost in the Sharankhola Range of the Eastern Sundarbans Forest Division told, fishermen are unable to catch fish in the Sundarbans due to the violence of bandits.
He apprehended that the revenue of Dublarcharfish drying village will be short this year if the bandits are not suppressed.
Md. Shariful Islam (ACF), theSharankhola Range Officer of the Sundarbans Eastern Forest Division confirmed the abduction of 5 fishermen in Shelarchar and said that steps have already been taken to rescue the kidnapped fishermen.