The Bangladesh Coast Guard has arrested five notorious members of the armed criminal group “Monsur Bahini” in Banshkhali, Chattogram, recovering three homemade firearms and a large cache of locally made weapons.
Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haque, the Coast Guard’s media officer, confirmed the operation in a statement on Thursday afternoon.
He said that intelligence reports had revealed that the Monsur Bahini gang had long been terrorising locals in the Notun Bazar area of Banshkhali. The group was allegedly involved in extortion, land grabbing, and armed intimidation aimed at asserting dominance in the region. Residents who protested were frequently threatened or faced open gunfire, creating widespread fear in the community.
After locals sought help from the Coast Guard, surveillance in the area was intensified. Acting on intelligence information, the Coast Guard Base Chattogram launched a special overnight operation from 3am to 6am on Thursday in the Notun Bazar area.
During the raid, officers seized three locally made firearms, eight rounds of live ammunition, 15 empty cartridges, and eight other weapons. Five armed members of the Monsur Bahini gang were arrested during the raid.
The detainees were identified as Abu Nasar Chowdhury (44), Abdul Kader (40), Md Jamir Ahmad (55), Md Ziaur Rahman (50), and Md Sohel (21) — all residents of Banshkhali.
During the operation, a group of unidentified assailants launched a sudden attack on the vehicle carrying the Coast Guard team, vandalising it and attempting to snatch away the detained suspects. In self-defence, the Coast Guard personnel fired three blank rounds.
Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haque said legal procedures are underway regarding the seized weapons and the detainees. He added that the Coast Guard will continue such operations to eradicate terrorism and ensure public safety.
