Four fishermen were abducted while catching crabs in the saline waters of the Sundarbans. The forest bandits demanded a ransom of Tk 50,000 per person for their release. They were abducted on Friday evening while catching crabs in a canal in the Aatharo Beki area under the Satkhira Range.
It has been alleged that members of the Alim gang were involved in the abduction. One of the abducted fishermen returned home yesterday, Sunday, after paying the ransom.
Yusuf Gazi of Barovetkhali village in Shyamnagar said he entered the forest on 20 November from the Koikhali station with a permit, taking Ibrahim Sheikh and Anis Sheikh of Morgang village on his boat. Similarly, Hasan Sheikh of Morgang village and Abdul Gazi of Barovetkhali also entered the forest with permits. On Friday evening, while catching crabs in the Aatharo Beki Bhaijo canal, the bandits intercepted their boats. They picked up four men from three boats and later demanded Tk 50,000 each for their release. After Tk 50,000 was paid early yesterday morning, the bandits released Hasan Sheikh on a boat. He reached home around 9am.
Kashem Morel, former chairman of the Shyamnagar Munshiganj Union Parishad, said bandit activity in the Sundarbans has increased again. He said several fishermen from Vetkhali and Morgang villages had recently been abducted from the Aatharo Beki area, according to locals.
Haq, the Satkhira Range Officer of the Sundarbans, said, “Fishermen rarely inform us. Their financiers or family members pay the ransom to secure their release, and we learn about it afterwards. Conducting rapid operations in the remote forest is challenging. A smart patrol team and two special units are currently active to curb forest bandits. We will make every possible effort to rescue the abducted fishermen if specific information is received.”
Khaborwala/TSN
