Twenty-one fishermen held hostage by two notorious pirate gangs in the Sundarbans were rescued in separate operations conducted by the Bangladesh Coast Guard under “Operation Mangrove Shield,” officials said on Friday.
Coast Guard media officer Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujon said the drives were part of ongoing efforts to eliminate criminal networks operating in the mangrove forest. The operations targeted the Dayal Bahini and Boro Jahangir Bahini groups.
Fishermen from Koyra in Khulna and Shyamnagar in Satkhira entered the Sundarbans to catch fish and crabs when members of the Dayal Bahini abducted them and demanded ransom. Acting on intelligence reports, Coast Guard personnel launched a raid in the Andarmanik area early Thursday. Although the pirates managed to flee deep into the forest, 10 fishermen were rescued safely.
In a separate operation later that day near the Shibsa River in Dacope upazila, Coast Guard and RAB forces came under fire from members of the Boro Jahangir Bahini. Security forces returned fire, forcing the pirates to escape. Eleven more fishermen were rescued, while a shotgun and several rounds of ammunition were recovered.