Even after two days, the two abducted tourists and the resort owner have not been rescued.

Nearly 48 hours after a brazen abduction in the Sundarbans, two tourists and a resort owner remain untraced, heightening concern over visitor safety in Bangladesh’s premier ecotourism destination.

The incident occurred in the Dhankhari area of Dacope upazila in Khulna district, where armed criminals posing as forest pirates abducted the victims during a leisure trip. Despite ongoing operations by law enforcement and maritime security agencies, no breakthrough had been achieved by Sunday evening.

According to police, the two tourists—identified as Md Sohel and Jony—are residents of Dhaka. They had travelled to the Sundarbans on Friday, 2 January, as part of a group of four tourists, including two women. The group booked an overnight stay at the Golkanon Resort, located near a narrow canal close to the forest boundary.

Later that afternoon, the resort owner, Sripati Bachar, accompanied the tourists on a boat excursion into a small canal within the forest area. While they were travelling near the resort, armed assailants intercepted the boat and abducted five people, including the resort owner and all four tourists.

The abductors later released the two female tourists during the night, returning them safely to the resort. However, they continued to hold the resort owner and the two male tourists captive. Subsequently, the kidnappers contacted the families of the victims, identifying themselves as members of a forest pirate gang and demanding a substantial ransom for their release.

Dacope Police Station Officer-in-Charge Atikur Rahman confirmed that a formal abduction case has been filed by the resort owner’s family. He also verified that ransom demands had been made and said law enforcement agencies were working closely with security forces to secure the victims’ safe return.

Since Friday, the Bangladesh Coast Guard’s Western Zone has been conducting search and rescue operations across the river channels and forested areas. Lieutenant Commander Abrar, Staff Officer (Operations) of the Coast Guard Western Zone, stated that the operation was still underway and that further details would be shared through an official press briefing.

The Dhankhari River separates the Sundarbans from nearby settlements, with the forest lying to the south and residential areas to the eastern bank. In recent years, several eco-resorts have been established along this fringe to promote community-based tourism. A leader of the Resort Owners Association of Sundarbans (ROAS) noted that Golkanon Resort was developed with NGO funding as part of a community tourism initiative and is not a registered member of the association. The resort authorities have also lodged a written complaint with Dacope police.

Key Details of the Incident

The incident has reignited debate about security arrangements in the Sundarbans tourism belt, particularly for community-run resorts operating close to forest waterways. Authorities have reiterated their commitment to intensifying patrols and ensuring the safety of visitors in the region.