Bagerhat Correspondent :
Two fishing trawlers were hijacked along with fish by jungle pirates in the Eastern Division of Sundarban forest during the last two days (January 23 and 24).
Jungle pirates forced the fishermen, 10 in number, boarded on the trawlers to alight to a char (island) in the forest from the trawlers and fled away with the trawlers. Those fishermen were rescued from the char near Darajar canal by the members of the coastguards and the forest department when they were jointly operating the forest on Thursday morning.
On the other hand, police of Sharankhola PS arrested a jungle pirate named Ismail Hossain (37) belonging to Choto Bahini, a gang of jungle pirates on Thursday morning.
Forest Department sources said, the incident of hijacking of trawlers took place in Darajar Khal (canal) area, situated between Chandeswar patrol outpost within Supati forest station under Sharankhola forest range and Kachikhali forest station. Both the coastguards and the forest department are jointly operating raids in the forest in order to rescue the hijacked trawlers.
Md. Abdul Mannan, Forest Officer , Supati forest office disclosed, at the night of January 24 while the fishermen of a fishing trawler without name belonging to a fish trader named Jakir Doctor of village Geanpara under Patharghata Upazila in Barguna district were catching fish in Darajar Khal (canal) near Chandeswar patrol outpost at about 10 am some 10/12 jungle pirates belonging to an unknown gang suddenly appeared there, attacked the fishing trawler and took away it along with fish caught by the fishermen after making them (fishermen) down to a char (island) from the same (trawler).
Two fishermen kidnapped
Another report stated that two fishermen were kidnapped by the jungle pirates belonging to a newly formed gang of jungle pirates named Sattar Bahini from Shialdah river area under Chandpai Forest range in the Eastern Division of Sundarban on Tuesday night to realize a sum of Tk 2 lakh as ransom. The kidnapped fishermen are Hasan Shah (20), son of one Awal Shah of village Ratia Rajapur within Rayenda Union under Sharankhola Upazila in Bagerhat and Tapan Karmakar (27), son of one Balaram Karmakar of village Paschim Rajapujr under the same upazila.
Fish traders of Sharankhola told with the reference of the fishermen returned from Sundarban forest, at the night after casting of fishing nets in the river fishermen were waiting in their fishing boats.
Two fishing trawlers were hijacked along with fish by jungle pirates in the Eastern Division of Sundarban forest during the last two days (January 23 and 24).
Jungle pirates forced the fishermen, 10 in number, boarded on the trawlers to alight to a char (island) in the forest from the trawlers and fled away with the trawlers. Those fishermen were rescued from the char near Darajar canal by the members of the coastguards and the forest department when they were jointly operating the forest on Thursday morning.
On the other hand, police of Sharankhola PS arrested a jungle pirate named Ismail Hossain (37) belonging to Choto Bahini, a gang of jungle pirates on Thursday morning.
Forest Department sources said, the incident of hijacking of trawlers took place in Darajar Khal (canal) area, situated between Chandeswar patrol outpost within Supati forest station under Sharankhola forest range and Kachikhali forest station. Both the coastguards and the forest department are jointly operating raids in the forest in order to rescue the hijacked trawlers.
Md. Abdul Mannan, Forest Officer , Supati forest office disclosed, at the night of January 24 while the fishermen of a fishing trawler without name belonging to a fish trader named Jakir Doctor of village Geanpara under Patharghata Upazila in Barguna district were catching fish in Darajar Khal (canal) near Chandeswar patrol outpost at about 10 am some 10/12 jungle pirates belonging to an unknown gang suddenly appeared there, attacked the fishing trawler and took away it along with fish caught by the fishermen after making them (fishermen) down to a char (island) from the same (trawler).
Two fishermen kidnapped
Another report stated that two fishermen were kidnapped by the jungle pirates belonging to a newly formed gang of jungle pirates named Sattar Bahini from Shialdah river area under Chandpai Forest range in the Eastern Division of Sundarban on Tuesday night to realize a sum of Tk 2 lakh as ransom. The kidnapped fishermen are Hasan Shah (20), son of one Awal Shah of village Ratia Rajapur within Rayenda Union under Sharankhola Upazila in Bagerhat and Tapan Karmakar (27), son of one Balaram Karmakar of village Paschim Rajapujr under the same upazila.
Fish traders of Sharankhola told with the reference of the fishermen returned from Sundarban forest, at the night after casting of fishing nets in the river fishermen were waiting in their fishing boats.
But at about 3 pm some 7/8 armed jungle pirates belonging to Sattar Bahini appeared there, attacked the fleet of fishing boats and looted cash Taka, rice, pulse and catching of the fishermen at gun point. At the time of their departure the jungle pirates kidnapped 2 fishermen and handed over two Bkash numbers and to other fishermen and asked them to send them Tk 2 lakh through the Bkash numbers for the release of the kidnapped fishermen.
Lt. Abdullah-al-Mahmud, Operation Officer of the Coast Guards said , the matter will be inquired.
