UNB, Bagerhat :
Robbers kidnapped 50 fishermen from Lothimarar Char and Aruabaya areas in the Sundarbans under Sharankhola upazila of the district early Friday.
Coast Guard Mongla zone operation division staff officer Lt Commander M Alauddin said gang members belonging to notorious ‘Abbas Bahini’ swooped on the trawlers while the fishermen were fishing in Lothimarar Char area on Friday morning.
The gang members looted fish and nets worth about Tk 15 lakh from the trawlers and kidnapped 35 fishermen.
The robbers beat up three fishermen-Bellal
Mir, 23, Badshah Hawladar, 40 and Halim Hawladar-during the robbery, leaving them injured.
The robbers demanded Tk 50,000 as ransom for release of each fisherman.
Meanwhile, another gang of robbers attacked a group of fishermen in Aruaboaya area while fishing with a trawler early Thursday and kidnapped 15 fishermen.
Soon after the incidents, Coast Guard members started drive to rescue the kidnapped fishermen but couldn’t trace them till Saturday evening. Kazi Abdus Saleque, officer-in-charge of Sharankhola Police Station confirmed the incident.
