In a joint operation conducted by the Coast Guard, Navy, Police, and RAB, tourists and resort owner who had been taken hostage by robbers were rescued on Friday.
The matter was confirmed on Monday by Coast Guard Media Officer Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq.
He said that on Friday, at 3pm, while traveling by wooden boat in the area near Kanurkhali from Golokannon Resort in Sundarbans, 7 individuals including 5 tourists, 1 boatman, and the resort owner, were taken hostage by a robber gang led by Masum Mridha.
The gang released 3 tourists and the boatman but took 2 tourists and the owner of Golokannon Resort to an unknown location in the Sundarbans and demanded a ransom. Later, the resort authorities informed the Coast Guard about the matter.
Based on the information received, a coordinated operation by the Coast Guard, Navy, Police, and RAB was conducted in various areas of Sundarbans, along with enhanced intelligence surveillance. During the operation, Masum’s associates Kuddus Howladar (43), Md Salam Baksh (24), and Mehedi Hasan (19) were arrested from various areas near Golokannon Resort.
Subsequently, the next day, associate Alam Matbor (38) was arrested from the Kailashganj area. On the same day, through intelligence surveillance and following financial footprints, when withdrawing the ransom money via bKash in the Palerhat area under Rupsha Police Station in Khulna, robber Masum’s mother Jaynabi Bibi (55) and bKash businessman Ayan Kundu (30) were arrested along with Tk81,400 in cash.
Thereafter, on Sunday, at 7pm, through drone surveillance, the two tourists and the owner of Golokannon Resort who had been held hostage were safely rescued from the area near Ghazi Fisheries in Sundarbans. Currently, intelligence surveillance and operations by the Coast Guard are ongoing to arrest the main robber Masum Mridha.
He further said that the process of handing over the rescued tourists to their families and handing over the arrested robber associates to the police station is underway. To ensure the security of tourists and the general public in the Sundarbans and coastal regions, the Coast Guard will continue such operations in the future as well.
