Pirates kill fisherman, injure 10 others
Five trawlers looted in Bay
A gang of pirates shot dead a fisherman and wounded 10 others at Kutubdia Channel of Bay of Bengal in Anwara upazila and looted valuables worth Tk 5 lakh on Thursday night.
The deceased was identified as Mohammad Yasin, 40, son of Abdul Gafur of Gahira village in the upazila.
Locals said Yasin along with 14 other fishermen in five trawlers went to catch fish in the sea on Wednesday morning.
When they were returning after fishing on Thursday night, a gang numbering 20/21 suddenly opened fire on them leaving Yasin dead on the spot and 10 others injured.
Later, the pirates looted hilsa fish, fishing nets, cash, mobile phone sets and other valuables worth Tk 5 lakh from the five trawlers.
Earlier, pirates abducted 41 fishermen at Vedakhali canal in the Bay near Fairway Buoy in Patharghata upazila of Barguna Tuesday night.
Quoting fishermen who managed to free themselves from the clutches of the gang and returned to Patharghata, Mostafa Chowdhury, president of Patharghata Trawler Owners' Association, said that 40 to 50 pirates coming in two trawlers attacked the fishermen.
Pirates also kidnapped around 100 other fishermen, plundered cash, fishes, fishing nets and other valuable items from 95 trawlers in the waters off Bagerhat coasts in the last two weeks.
They mercilessly beat up and injured 35 fishermen during raids on the trawlers. Victims and other fishermen estimated that goods worth Tk 1 crore were looted from the 95 fishing trawlers.
Fishermen who managed to escape from captivity said, three gangs of pirates coming by motorised boats attacked 95 trawlers from Sept 10-23 when the fishermen were fishing in different areas of the Bay off Sundarbans coast near Passur estuary, Vedakhali Canal and Fairway Buoy areas.
The kidnapped fishermen hail from Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Barguna, Bhola and Patuakhali districts.
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