Four fishermen were reportedly abducted by the Arakan Army (AA), an armed rebel group from Myanmar, from the Naf River in the Damdamia area of Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar.
The incident occurred on Thursday morning, near Lal Dwip, adjacent to Damdamia in Teknaf.
The abducted fishermen have been identified as Arafat Ullah, 21, Anis Ullah, 22, Jaber, 14, and Anwar Sadeq, 27. All of them are residents of Jadimura Camp No 27 in Teknaf.
Confirming the incident, Mohammad Noor, a majhi (community leader) of the Rohingya camp in Jadimura, Teknaf, said: “As usual, the fishermen went to the Naf River in Damdamia using a drum raft to catch fish. At that time, members of the Arakan Army crossed over from Myanmar, held them at gunpoint and abducted them along with their boat."
He said: "Several other fishermen managed to escape. The authorities have been informed of the incident.”
Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sheikh Ehsan Uddin said: “We have just received the report of the abduction. The matter is being looked into.”
Local fisherman Mohammad Alam said: “Due to the presence of the Arakan Army, fishermen are constantly living in fear. Incidents of abduction occur frequently. Today (Thursday) four more fishermen have reportedly been taken.”
