Kamal: Security forces being modernised to take down pirates

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal asked the pirates still active in the Sundarbans to surrender and alerted them by saying that the security forces are being modernised and strengthened. He said: "The pirates will not be able to come out alive if confronted by the forces. We have seen this [happen] many times before."

 RAB officials and the home minister speaking at the surrender ceremony on November 1, 2017 | Arif Mostafa/Dhaka Tribune

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The minister spoke at a surrender ceremony of pirates held at the Pirojpur Stadium on Wednesday. He made the remark while addressing the 20 members of the bandit groups Manjur Bahini and Mujib Bahini who have surrendered to RAB. The minister was the chief guest at the event while RAB Director General Benazir Ahmed was present as the special guest.

A pirate handing over his gun to the minister at the surrender ceremony in Pirojpur on November 1, 2017 | Arif Mostafa/Dhaka Tribune

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RAB Director General Benazir Ahmed said: "We are trying to free the Sundarbans of the pirates with the help of the prime minister and home minister. In the last 15 months, 132 members of 12 bandit groups have surrendered. They have surrendered with 249 firearms and 12,592 rounds of ammunition. For rehabilitation, the surrendered pirates have received Tk100,000 from the prime minister, Tk20,000 from the home minister and Tk50,000 from the EXIM Bank.”

RAB Director General Benazir Ahmed addresses the crowd at the surrender ceremony of pirates at Pirojpur Stadium on November 1, 2017 | Arif Mostafa/Dhaka Tribune

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RAB-8 Director Hasan Imon Al Rajib said: "In May 2016, the pirates requested to surrender to RAB 8. 12 bandit groups have already surrendered to us which has led to the surrender of other pirates."