Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) members rescued 21 fishermen kidnapped by robbers and seized firearms and ammunition during separate operations in the Sundarbans on Friday morning.
BCG Media Officer Lt Commander Sabbir Alam Sujan said the operations were part of “Operation Restore Peace in Sundarbans” and “Operation Mangrove Shield,” carried out in the forest areas of Koyra and Dakop upazilas in Khulna district.
In the first operation, BCG personnel rescued 10 fishermen from the “Dayal Bahini” in the Andharmanik Tota Keoratala Canal area in Koyra after acting on intelligence that the gang was holding them for ransom. The fishermen, from Koyra and Shyamnagar in Satkhira, had ventured deep into the Sundarbans for fishing and crab collection when the gang abducted them near Firingi and Kunchir canals.
During a separate operation at Borodudhmukh Canal along the Shibsa River in Dakop, coastguards came under fire from the “Boro Jahangir Bahini.” They returned fire in self-defence, forcing the robbers to flee into the forest.
Following the clash, the BCG rescued 11 more fishermen and recovered one single-barrel gun, five live rounds of ammunition and one blank cartridge.
Lt Commander Sabbir Alam said the operations are continuing across the Sundarbans to ensure the safety of fishermen and curb robberies.
