At least 375 Bangladeshi fishermen have been abducted from the Naf River and around the coast of St Martin’s Island over the past 10 months.
In a recent incident, nine more Bangladeshi fishermen have been abducted by the Myanmar-based armed insurgent group, the Arakan Army, while they were fishing in the estuary of the Naf River and the adjacent sea in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar.
The abductors also took away two engine-powered trawlers used by the fishermen. The incident took place from the sea near Shah Porir Dwip in Teknaf on Thursday morning.
All the abducted fishermen are residents of the Dangarpara area of Shah Porir Dwip in Teknaf upazila. They are – Manjur Alam, 28; Md Abdullah, 26; Md Anwar, 27; Omar Faruq, 17; Zafar Alam, 16; Kabir Ahmed, 55; Md Russell, 26; Jasim Ahmed, 18; and Md Ibrahim, 21.
With this latest incident, at least 375 Bangladeshi fishermen have been abducted from the waters of the Naf River and around the coast of St. Martin’s Island over the past 10 months.
Local fishermen and eyewitnesses reported that the fishermen were fishing in the sea near Shah Porir Dwip on Thursday morning when members of the Arakan Army arrived in a speedboat and suddenly chased them.
At one point, they took control of the two trawlers along with the nine fishermen and headed towards the Myanmar border.
Previously, on 5 December, the Arakan Army abducted six more fishermen from the Jhimmongkhali area adjacent to the Naf River while they were fishing.
According to locals, fishermen often unknowingly venture close to the border while fishing at sea. This opportunity is being used by miscreants to carry out such abductions repeatedly.
Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Enamul Hafiz Nadim confirmed the abductions, stating that he is aware about the fishermen being taken away while at sea.
He said regular contact is being maintained with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Coast Guard regarding this matter, and necessary administrative measures are being taken to bring the fishermen back swiftly.
The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has stated that with BGB’s assistance, at least 200 abducted fishermen were successfully recovered between March and August of this year.
However, the BGB informed that 175 fishermen still remain missing.
