BAGERHAT, Feb 28 (UNB): Frequent attacks by pirates and forest robbers have put both lives and livelihood of the members of the fishermen community in grave peril in the Bay of Bengal and the Sundarbans.
About two lakh fishermen have to remain always in a state of panic as over 20 infamous gangs of forest robbers and pirates continue their operations in the Bay and the Sundarbans.
It is getting difficult to deal with these forest robbers and pirates who are relentlessly committing criminal activities despite drives conducted frequently by the law enforcement agencies.
On February 17 this year, robbers kidnapped 40 fishermen along with 10 trawlers at Katka in the Sundarbans under Sharankhola upazila of Bagerhat.
Coast Guard Mongla zone staff officer Lt Commander M Mohiuddin Majumder said members of notorious gangs 'Rahman Bahini' and 'Jahangir Bahini' swooped on the trawlers while the fishermen were fishing in the early morning.
The gang members looted fish and nets worth about Tk 1 crore from 50 trawlers and demanded Tk 50,000 for release of each of the fishermen. Earlier, a fisherman was killed and eight others were injured when robbers opened fire on them in the Raimangal River in the Sundarbans on Friday.
In April last year, robbers killed 27 fishermen after abduction and dumped the bodies into the Bay.
Later, law enforcers recovered floating bodies of the fishermen from the sea.
Accusing the armed robbers of extorting money from them at gunpoint, many fishermen said if the criminals fail to realise tolls, they attack fishermen's boats either to loot fishing materials or to abduct them for ransom.
To catch fish in the Bay, fishermen, in many cases, have to collect tokens from the robbers after paying tolls.
Dulal Forazi, president of Sharankhola Upazila Matsyajibi Samity, said members of 25 pirate and forest robber gangs are running their activities openly in different areas of the Sunbarbans and the Bay.
Thousands of fishermen fall prey to their attacks every year, he said, adding that the criminals often abduct the innocent fish catchers for ransom.
Failing to realise the ransom, the robbers not only kill the abducted fishermen but also throw their bodies into the sea, Dulal Forazi mentioned.
