Eight years after the Sundarbans was declared free of bandits, robbery and armed criminal activity have returned to the world’s largest mangrove forest.
The resurgence of kidnappings, ransom demands, extortion and the torture of forest-dependent communities has spread panic across the coastal belt.
Fishermen and forest workers report that the situation has taken a dangerous turn after remaining relatively calm for several years.
Between 31 May 2016 and 1 November 2018, a total of 328 members from 32 robber gangs surrendered during operations conducted by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), handing over 462 firearms and a large quantity of ammunition.
Consequently, on 1 November 2018, then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina officially declared the Sundarbans “bandit-free”.
However, following the mass uprising in 2024, rehabilitation efforts reportedly stalled.
Many former robbers who had attempted to transition to normal life found themselves entangled in what they described as fabricated cases, facing severe financial hardship while battling old legal disputes.
Driven by frustration and anger, many allegedly returned to a life of crime.
Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, forest officer of the Sundarbans East Forest Division in Bagerhat, told TIMES of Bangladesh, “We are in a very worrying situation. For the past few months, bandits have been taking over the district.”
He noted that fear of robbery has sharply reduced the number of fishing permits being issued.
“Last year, 300 permits were issued, but this year that number has dropped to only 100. And among those who do venture out, many are being targeted by bandits. This is putting the fishermen in immense distress, and government revenue is declining sharply,” he said.
The situation has become so alarming that forest department personnel reportedly avoid extensive patrols after dark for fear of armed ambushes.
“The bandits are numerous, and they are heavily armed,” the forest officer added.
Meanwhile, a Coast Guard official confirmed that operations against the gangs are ongoing, noting that two suspects were arrested on 17 May, three on 15 May and one on 12 May.
“Four fishermen were rescued following a gunfight with robbers on 13 May, and another 21 fishermen were rescued during a joint operation with RAB on 22 May,” the official said.
Divisional Forest Officer Rezaul Karim added, “Criminal activity is rising due to various underlying factors, but multiple government agencies are actively working to curb the robbers’ operations. State Minister Sheikh Faridul Islam has already ordered decisive action in this regard.”
When asked, an official from the media wing of RAB-6, requesting anonymity, said, “After 5 August 2024, banditry increased significantly.”
“It has decreased substantially since the general election, and RAB is working on this with the Coast Guard,” he added.
“This activity will continue in the future.”
One abduction after another
A relentless wave of kidnappings has struck the Sundarbans, signalling a terrifying return of robbery.
According to law enforcement agencies, 22 forest workers were abducted in the Satkhira range between 2 May and 5 May, with five released after paying ransoms.
Authorities detailed a rapid escalation of attacks across the mangrove forest, including the abduction of eight more workers in Satkhira by 14 May, 10 fishermen in Mongla on 15 April, 17 from the Lungser canal last Tuesday and six in the Sharankhola range.
Amid the surge, law enforcers rescued 21 fishermen during a recent Friday operation, recovering a cache of weapons and ammunition.
However, the threat remains severe.
Relatives reported that bandits use mobile phones to demand ransoms, threatening to execute hostages.
Surviving fishermen alleged that bandits have grown increasingly brazen, abducting people near their homes and subjecting them to brutal torture.
Consequently, extreme anxiety grips the coastal region.
Locals are terrorised by gunpoint hostage-taking, digital extortion and tracking tactics used by bandits, sparking fears that the Sundarbans is slipping back into its darkest era.
The resurgence has fuelled a highly organised criminal economy.
Moneylenders financing local expeditions revealed that ransoms are funnelled through bKash.
Alarmingly, gangs now demand “advance ransom” from honey collectors before the harvesting season even begins, and victims are barred from entering the forest unless the upfront protection money is paid.
According to the moneylenders, pirate gangs have extorted nearly Tk50 crore over the past six to seven months alone.
Bandits issue ‘token’ for forest entry
Alongside official government permits, armed gangs are now forcing fishermen and honey collectors to carry “tokens” issued by the bandits themselves to enter the forest safely.
TIMES of Bangladesh obtained one such token — a Tk10 banknote bearing the handwritten inscription “Sohel, Charpata”.
The tokens are allegedly distributed by bandit syndicates operating in the eastern Sundarbans area of Bagerhat.
According to local forest workers, those who pay protection money or ransoms in advance receive the tokens as a pass to work inside the forest without interference.
Without the bandit-issued voucher, even workers holding valid government permits face brutal attacks, severe beatings and abduction.
Former surrendered bandits return
Previously rehabilitated criminals are returning to the Sundarbans.
On 21 May, members of the “Chhota Suman Bahini” were again linked to criminal activity, despite having officially surrendered on 30 July 2019.
Law enforcement sources said the “Jahangir Bahini” has now emerged as the largest bandit group in the forest, with around 50 heavily armed members.
The syndicate is led by Jahangir Sheikh, alongside Md Joynal Abedin, alias Dada Bhai, and Manjur Sardar, all of whom previously commanded separate networks.
Jahangir Sheikh originally surrendered with nine members during a RAB initiative in 2018.
However, sources said he returned to piracy after promised rehabilitation benefits failed to materialise and he faced ongoing administrative harassment.
Similarly, Dada Bhai surrendered with 11 men in 2018.
Though he attempted to build a normal life by taking a job in Chattogram, he was later summoned by RAB-6 and ordered to remain strictly within their jurisdiction, disrupting his reintegration.
Alongside the revived syndicates, new criminal factions are rapidly emerging.
Insiders report that a volatile mix of political harassment, local turf wars, unresolved court cases and extreme poverty is driving a new wave of recruits into the forest gangs.
At least 20 active gangs
According to law enforcement agencies, forest workers and local moneylenders, at least 20 active bandit syndicates are currently operating inside the Sundarbans.
While some gangs specifically target fishermen, others focus on abducting forest workers, including bawalis (woodcutters) and mouwals (honey collectors), for extortion.
To evade detection and control territories, different factions reportedly use distinct uniforms and tactical disguises.
Tensions in the region escalated further on 18 May, when a forest department employee shot and killed a fisherman in the western zone of the Sundarbans during a tragic misunderstanding over crab harvesting.
In the wake of the shooting, more than 100 furious fishermen and locals retaliated by attacking the Burigoalini Forest Station.
Since then, unrest has rippled across the coastal belt.
Sources report that at least four bandit gangs are actively capitalising on the chaos in the western sector alone, prompting terrified locals to avoid entering the forest altogether.
Beyond the human toll, Forest Officer Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury warned that the resurgence of piracy poses a critical threat to the forest’s fragile ecosystem.
“Historically, when the bandits take over the forest, they hunt wildlife for food. Because of their unchecked presence, there is now a severe risk of tiger poaching,” he cautioned.
