With the surrender of the last remaining pirate groups active in the Sundarbans, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has declared the mangrove forest free of piracy.
“The Sundarbans is now pirate-free. The pirates have laid down arms responding to our call. We are giving them Tk1 lakh each. They can now live in their own villages with their families. Police and RAB are helping them,” she said on a videoconference from Ganabhaban on Thursday.
The latest surrender took place at Bagerhat’s Sheikh Helal Uddin Stadium in the presence of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, several ministers, MPs, and top RAB officials.
Fifty-four members of the pirate gangs, including their chiefs, surrendered 58 firearms and 3,351 bullets, promising to return to normal life.
The gangs are: Sattar Bahini, Sharif Bahini, Mukul-Siddique Bahini, Al-Amin Bahini, Anarul Bahini, and Tayeb Bahini.
The prime minister thanked RAB, police, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and everyone involved with the process.
“A long-standing problem has been solved,” she said.
Hasina said the government is rehabilitating the former pirates and that RAB, police, and local administration will provide them with assistance to help them return to their normal lives.
Many other gangs have previously laid down their arms.
This trend started due RAB’s efforts to end piracy in the world’s largest mangrove forest. The fishermen of the coastal regions had lived in fear because of the pirates. These pirate gangs had held people hostage and been involved in extortion and kidnapping.
Master Bahini chief Mostofa Sheikh alias Kader Master and nine of his gang members were the first to surrender. They handed over 50 firearms and 5,000 bullets to the home minister on May 31, 2015.
Eventually, 274 pirates of 29 gangs surrendered 404 firearms and 19,153 rounds of bullets over the years.
These gangs include: Manzar Bahini, Majid Bahini, Boro Bhai Bahini, Bhai Bhai Bahini, Sumon Bahini, Dada Bhai Bahini, Hannan Bahini, Amir Bahini, Munna Bahini, Chhoto Shamsu Bahini, Manju Bahini, and Surjo Bahini.