At least 21 fishermen have been abducted by armed forest pirates from various rivers and coastal waterways across the Eastern Sundarbans over the past two days. The series of raids has sparked widespread fear and anxiety among local fishing communities and seafood merchants across the coastal districts of Bagerhat, Mongla, and Barguna.
According to forest officials and local sources, the latest incident occurred late on Saturday night in the coastal areas of Bhanga, Ambariya, and Narikelbariya, near the Bay of Bengal. Bandits attacked a fleet of traditional wooden fishing boats, forcefully seizing one crew member from each vessel before transferring them onto a waiting engine-driven trawler. A total of 15 fishermen were taken captive during that single coordinated raid.
Milton Roy, Forest Ranger in charge of the Dubla patrol post under the Sharankhola Range of the East Sundarbans Division, confirmed the details of the attack on Sunday afternoon. He stated that the victims were operating legally, having obtained official permits from the Forest Department to fish in the designated forest canals using traditional nets and longlines.
Forest officials have successfully verified the identities of 10 out of the 15 fishermen seized in the coastal raid:
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Khulna District: Arif (25), Sagir (34), Mithu (30), and Ferdaus (28)
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Barguna District (Patharghata and Taltali): Ibrahim (35), Imran (25), Mostafizur (35), Alamin (28), Hanif (38), and Maruf (49)
Efforts remain ongoing to trace the identities of the remaining five captives from that group.
Simultaneously, news emerged of another abduction from the Bhadra River in the Jhabsi area of the mangrove forest. Local vessel owners reported that armed members of the notorious Karim-Sharif pirate gang ambushed fishing boats during the night, abducting Masud Izardar (28) and Imdadul Izardar (30), both residents of the Ulukata Chila area in Mongla. Combined with six other fishermen abducted during a similar ambush the previous night, the total number of hostages seized over the 48-hour period stands at 21.
The Sundarbans, the world’s largest contiguous mangrove forest, supports thousands of artisanal fishing families who risk harsh weather and wildlife encounters daily. However, the resurgence of armed gangs holding workers for ransom threatens the fragile coastal economy. Local fishing traders have urged law enforcement agencies, including the Coast Guard and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), to launch immediate joint rescue operations and dismantle emerging pirate hideouts.
Meanwhile, official responses remain cautious. An official from the Bangladesh Coast Guard West Zone in Mongla stated that they had not yet received formal reports regarding the kidnappings, though he assured that patrols would investigate the claims and maintain vigilance across the waterways.
