The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Barisal

As soon as the Hilsha fishing season started, the armed pirate gangs based in deep forest of Sundarban created reign of terror in the coastal fishing belts and looted 31 fishing trawlers abducted at least 35 fishermen in recent days.

Reports received from Kuakata, Patharghata and Sharonkhola coasts of Patuakhai, Bagerhut and Khulna districts said that Zulfikar, Razu and Ziad, three notorious gang leaders of the pirates created this reign of terror.

These gangs not only looted properties worth Tk. 50 lakhs in cash and kinds including the fishing nets, equipments, engines and fuels of the fishing boats, but also collected huge money in exchange of freeing abducted hostages. Nitai Chandra, Golam Mustafa and A Huq Farazi, leaders of the fishing trawlers and merchant associations of Kalapara, Patharghata and Sharonkhola said that after killing the pirate gang leader Taslim and arrest of Kabir by the law enforcers , Sundarbon based pirate gangs became inactive for few times.

But recently the miscreants organised under the leadership of Zulfikar, Razu and Riaz started mass piracies in the bay and coastal areas. In this most unsafe situations fishermen became panicked to go for fishing in the bay and coastal areas. These gangs have more than one hundred members with sophisticated fire arms, speedy water transports and strong hidden safe shelters in deep forest under influential godfathers.

These gangs after looting the fishing boats took the crews and fishermen as hostages with them and freed them after collecting ransoms through their godfather at Khulna, Mongla and Bagerhut, the association leaders alleged. We often hesitate to inform law enforcers after the incidents of looting our properties to save the lives of abducted hostages and operating combing operations and random patrol of navy and coastguard only can improve the situation, they opined.