A group of forest bandits attempted to carry out a robbery on a tourist ship in the East Sundarbans on Saturday night at around 9pm, but fled after facing gunfire from forest guards.
The incident took place in the river near the Katka tourist centre under the Sarankhola Range.
According to Forester Tanvir Hasan Imran, officer of the Katka Sanctuary Centre, an unidentified group of forest bandits arriving in an engine-driven trawler moved towards a tourist vessel anchored in the Katka river at around 9pm.
Fishermen stationed at the Katka estuary spotted the bandits entering the area and immediately alerted forest guards over mobile phone.
Forest guards promptly took up position at the entrance of the Katka river using a patrol boat. As the bandits attempted to advance towards the tourist vessel, forest guards fired four rounds targeting them.
Facing the gunfire, the bandits turned their trawler around and fled at high speed towards the sea.
Md Shamim Alam, master of the tourist vessel “The Wave-2,” said over phone that forest guards had informed him in advance that robbers were heading towards the ship.
He mentioned that two tourist ships – “The Wave-2” and “Aral Sea” – were anchored at Katka, carrying a combined total of 97 domestic and foreign tourists.
Alam added that the brave and strict role of the forest guards saved the tourists, although hearing the name of the bandits had created immediate panic among the passengers.
Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, divisional forest officer (DFO) of Sundarbans East Division, confirmed the attempted robbery on the tourist vessel over phone. He noted that this was the first ever robbery attempt on a tourist vessel in the Sundarbans.
He added that advance information from fishermen enabled the Katka forest guards to successfully foil the bandits’ attempt, adding that orders have been issued to step up patrols in the Katka river.
The DFO further mentioned that forest bandit activity has recently increased in the Sundarbans, with robbers abducting fishermen and holding them hostage for ransom.
He stressed that night patrols by the Coast Guard need to be introduced in the Sundarbans to suppress banditry.
