UNB, Bhola :
An alarming uptick in violent crimes perpetrated by gangs of pirates has served to spread fear through the fishing community in coastal district Bhola.
So much so that during what is the peak season for catching Hilsa (June to September), most fishermen are not even venturing into the river Meghna, until such time that the authorities are able to assure them of adequate security measures.
Hard-up fishing families can scarcely afford to miss out on the mighty Meghna’s particularly rich offerings of hilsa during the peak monsoon months. Yet that is what they are being forced to do. The effects are likely to show not just in the size of their catch for the season, but also dining tables around the country as well as the exports column of the national accounts. The Fisheries Department claims “3 million fishermen, fisherwomen and fishery workers directly or indirectly depend on the fish for their livelihood.” On average, the country earns an impressive $630 million annually from exporting hilsa, according to the International Institute for Environment and Development.
For now though, Bhola’s fishermen are passing their days in fear, after a spate of recent kidnappings and armed robberies targeting fishing boats that shook the entire community.
The fishermen also complain that the failure of law enforcement agencies to take any measures at all – say, an armed escort service to and from the danger zone – aimed at providing security to the fishermen, led to the outlaws establishing their dominance in these waters.
Members of the fishing community told UNB that only in the last few weeks, pirates robbed at least 15 trawlers and kidnapped around 30 fishermen for ransom. The fishermen were freed only after the payment of ransom.
Locals remain convinced that in the event of failure to pay the ransom, the bandits would not hesitate to kill them.
Fishermen claimed the Babu, Kalam and Krishna gangs – named after their leaders – to be the most active and fearsome pirate gangs operating in the Meghna Basin.
Their dens crisscross the entire area, and have been identified already at Madanpura, Char Jahiruddin, Char Tajammul, Boyar Char, Chairmaner Ghat, Bason Bhangar Char, Char Uril and Char Alexander.
Heavily armed and fearless, the pirates usually swoop on the unassuming fishermen under cover of darkness. Last year, a fisherman was even killed in one attack.
An alarming uptick in violent crimes perpetrated by gangs of pirates has served to spread fear through the fishing community in coastal district Bhola.
So much so that during what is the peak season for catching Hilsa (June to September), most fishermen are not even venturing into the river Meghna, until such time that the authorities are able to assure them of adequate security measures.
Hard-up fishing families can scarcely afford to miss out on the mighty Meghna’s particularly rich offerings of hilsa during the peak monsoon months. Yet that is what they are being forced to do. The effects are likely to show not just in the size of their catch for the season, but also dining tables around the country as well as the exports column of the national accounts. The Fisheries Department claims “3 million fishermen, fisherwomen and fishery workers directly or indirectly depend on the fish for their livelihood.” On average, the country earns an impressive $630 million annually from exporting hilsa, according to the International Institute for Environment and Development.
For now though, Bhola’s fishermen are passing their days in fear, after a spate of recent kidnappings and armed robberies targeting fishing boats that shook the entire community.
The fishermen also complain that the failure of law enforcement agencies to take any measures at all – say, an armed escort service to and from the danger zone – aimed at providing security to the fishermen, led to the outlaws establishing their dominance in these waters.
Members of the fishing community told UNB that only in the last few weeks, pirates robbed at least 15 trawlers and kidnapped around 30 fishermen for ransom. The fishermen were freed only after the payment of ransom.
Locals remain convinced that in the event of failure to pay the ransom, the bandits would not hesitate to kill them.
Fishermen claimed the Babu, Kalam and Krishna gangs – named after their leaders – to be the most active and fearsome pirate gangs operating in the Meghna Basin.
Their dens crisscross the entire area, and have been identified already at Madanpura, Char Jahiruddin, Char Tajammul, Boyar Char, Chairmaner Ghat, Bason Bhangar Char, Char Uril and Char Alexander.
Heavily armed and fearless, the pirates usually swoop on the unassuming fishermen under cover of darkness. Last year, a fisherman was even killed in one attack.
