25 more fishermen abducted from Sundarbans
Pirates kidnapped 25 more fishermen for ransom from Dublarchar under Sharankhola range of Sundarban Forest Division on Thursday night.
Following the incident, coastguards, navy, Rab and forest department launched combing operations in the Sundarbans and coastal belts of Bagerhat district.
Rampant kidnappings and piracies have already created an adverse impact on revenue earnings of the government from the fisheries and forest sectors, said Divisional Forest Officer of the East Wing of Sundarban Forest Division Mihir Kumar.
Forest department sources said pirates belonging to most notorious Martuza, Gama and Al Amin Bahinis of the Sundarbans looted from the fishermen and two fishing trawlers.
Staff Officer (operation) of coastguards Mongla west zone Lieutenant Md Hasanuzzaman said 'Operation Sundarban-2' has been launched in the Sundarbans and coastal belts from midnight on Thursday.
Zonal Commander of coastguard Md Saidur Rahman said the combing
operations have been launched to free the sea and the rivers from all sorts of crimes.
In fact, we have launched operation Sundarban-2 this time to contain rampant piracies and kidnappings of fishermen, coastguard zonal commander said.
There are 12 gangs of pirates in the sea and forest. Of them, three gangs led by Gama, Raju and Al Amin are most notorious. The gangs kidnap 40 to 50 fishermen on average every week, said DFO Mihir Kumar.
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