The Bangladesh Coast Guard exchanged gunfire with the notorious Dada Bhai pirate gang in the Sundarbans early on Tuesday and rescued five fishermen held hostage for ransom, recovering a firearm, six spent cartridges and three locally made sharp weapons.
Coast Guard media officer Lt Commander Sabbir Alam Sujon disclosed the information in the afternoon.
The operation was conducted under two special drives, ‘Operation Restore Peace in Sundarbans’ and ‘Operation Mangrove Shield’, aimed at eliminating pirate gangs in the Sundarbans and ensuring security in coastal areas.
Acting on a tip-off, the Coast Guard learned that the gang had held several fishermen hostage at Kanchir Khal, near the Arpangashia River in the Sundarbans under Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira, to extort ransom.
Coast Guard stations at Koyra and Dobeki launched a special operation in the area around midnight on Tuesday.
Sensing the presence of Coast Guard personnel, the pirates opened fire on them. The Coast Guard members returned fire in self-defence. The pirates eventually abandoned the hostages and fled deep into the forest, preventing the force from making any arrests.
A subsequent search of the area led to the recovery of a single-barrel firearm, six spent cartridges and three locally made sharp weapons. All five fishermen were rescued alive.
The rescued fishermen were identified as Robiul Islam, 35, and Billal Hossain, 26, from Shyamnagar in Satkhira, and Alaoul Islam, 32, Naushen Mridha, 41, and Shahinur Rahman, 28, from Koyra upazila in Khulna.
