The Bangladesh Coast Guard has detained three active members of Jonab dacoit force along with arms and ammunition during a special drive titled “Operation Mangrove Shield” in the Sundarbans.
Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujon, media officer of Coast Guard, confirmed the development on Wednesday morning.
Acting on a tip-off regarding the presence of dacoit group, a special team from Coast Guard Station Kaikhali conducted a raid near Kalinchi Sluice Gate area under Shyamnagar Police Station in Satkhira at 6pm on Tuesday.
The three detainees have been identified as Azibar Gazi, 47, Rabiul Gazi, 44, and Faruk Hossain, 36, all residents of Shyamnagar Upazila in Satkhira.
Following the interrogation of the detainees, the Coast Guard team conducted a subsequent drive at 11pm near Harintana Khal area and recovered one single-barrel gun and two rounds of live cartridges.
According to Coast Guard, the detainees had been active members of Jonab force for a long duration, allegedly involved in robberies and the kidnapping of general fishermen and bawalis (honey collectors) for ransom in the Sundarbans region.
Lieutenant Commander Sujon stated that the Coast Guard is currently conducting two special operation, “Operation Restore Peace in Sundarbans” and “Operation Mangrove Shield”, under government directives to eliminate all active dacoit groups in the forest.
He further noted that despite attempts by certain vested interest groups and unscrupulous circles to tarnish the force’s image and question its crime-prevention activities through the spread of misleading and baseless information, the Coast Guard’s anti-dacoit operations will continue.
Legal proceedings regarding the detained individuals and the recovered weaponry are currently underway. Regular patrols and intelligence activities will persist to ensure the Sundarbans remain entirely safe and free of dacoits.
