A dacoity was committed on a fleet of 50 fishing trawlers in
the Bay of Bengal, adjacent to Eastern Division of Sundarban forest by
armed pirates belonging to Shirsa Bahini from the morning of Thursday
to till the night of Friday, according to a report received here.
The pirates looted Hilsa, fishing equipments, diesel oil and mobile
sets worth Tk.1 crore from the fishing trawlers. At the time of their
departure they kidnapped 50 fishermen and seven fishing trawlers to
realize cash Tk.1 lakh as ransom. Fifteen fishermen out kidnapped 50
hail from Sharankhola Upazila in the district and two fishing trawlers
out of seven fishing trawlers which were taken away belong to fish
traders of the same Upazila, it was learnt from the traders.
Abul Hossain, president of Sharankhola branch of National Fish
Traders’ Organisation and Emdadul Haq, a fish trader of Rajeswar
village under Sharankhola Upazila said that while those fishing
trawlers were engaged in catching Hilsa from the Bay near at Dublar
Char, Narkelbaria, Katka etc areas, some 40 to 45 armed jungle pirates
of Shirsa Bahini reached there by two speeding trawlers and attacked
the fishing trawlers and committed dacoity in one vessel after another
from the early hours of Thursday to till the night of Friday, looted
their belongings, kidnapped 50 fishermen and took away fishing
trawlers for ransom.
Mufti Mahmud, Operation Officer of the Coastguards of the
Western Zone deployed at Mongla said that three teams of the
coastguards of Kachikhali, Kokilmoni and Dubla stations were sent on
Saturday for leading operation in the forest and the coast areas in
order to rescue the kidnapped fishermen.
It is learnt from another source that the members of the
coastguards in a six-hour operation on Saturday night rescued 2
kidnapped fishermen along with fishing trawlers after fighting with
the pirates. –Our Correspondent, Bagerhat
