No trace of 15 fishermen kidnapped from Bay of Bengal

Bagerhat Correspondent :

The fate of 15 fishermen kidnapped from Dublarchar Sea Fish Drying Village by pirates on Sunday midnight (Jan 26) remains unknown, sparking fear among over 12,000 fishermen engaged in fishing and drying activities in the Bay of Bengal.

The Dubla Fishermen Group has urged the Adviser-in-Charge of Home Affairs to intervene urgently. At a video press conference held on Tuesday noon at Alorkol Island, the group called for swift action to rescue the abducted fishermen and curb piracy, which has resurfaced after years of relative calm.

According to Motasim Faraji, President of Rampal Upazila Fishermen’s Association, a group of 10-12 armed pirates from the gang “Majnu-Alim Bahini” attacked the fishermen near Mandarbaria, adjacent to the Sundarbans. The pirates, arriving on a trawler, overpowered the fishermen and kidnapped 15 individuals, who hail from Bagerhat, Khulna, and Satkhira districts. The missing fishermen are:Shah Alam, Azaharul Islam, Md. Jahangir Alam, Arafat Hossain, Alamgir Hossain, Md. Shahjahan Dhali, Hafizur Rahman, Shahjahan Gazi, Md. Shainur Alam, Md. Rasel, Motiar Sardar, Khan Rafik, Ripon Morol, Nure Alam, Nathan Biswas

Despite four days passing, no ransom demand has been made, and the pirates have yet to establish contact with the victims’ families or authorities.

Lt. Commander Md. Siamul Haq, Media Officer of Coast Guard Headquarters, confirmed that upon receiving distress calls from fishermen, a coast guard contingent rushed to the scene. During the operation, three pirates from a different gang, Dayal Bahini, were arrested. They were identified as:, Md. Rahamat Morol (26), Md. Rabiul Molla (26), Md. Jahangir Shaikh (51)

The coast guard seized a foreign-made single-barrel gun and 36 rounds of ammunition from the arrested pirates, who were later handed over to Sharankhola Police Station and sent to jail following legal proceedings.