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The Coast Guard has rescued four fishermen who were held hostage by the Samrat gang while fishing for fish and crabs in the Sundarbans.
They were rescued during an operation near the Arbania Canal in the Shipsa River area of Khulna’s Dacope upazila on Sunday afternoon.
The pirates fled deep into the forest, abandoning the hostages after sensing the presence of Coast Guard personnel.
Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujon, media officer of the Coast Guard, confirmed the development on Monday morning.
The rescued fishermen were identified as Moinur, 50, Badsha Gazi, 39, Sujon Hossain, 34, and Imamol Mallik, 22. All are residents of Paikgachha upazila in Khulna. Arrangements are underway to hand them over to their families.
According to the Coast Guard, members of the Samrat gang abducted the four fishermen on October 10 while they were fishing in the Sundarbans. Initial questioning suggested that the victims had been tortured in an attempt to extort ransom.
Acting on a tip-off, Coast Guard Outpost Nalian identified the gang’s location near the Arbania Canal in the Shipsa River. A special operation was launched there at around 2pm on Sunday, resulting in the rescue of all four fishermen. However, no one was arrested as the suspected pirates managed to escape.
The Coast Guard media officer said two special operations, Operation Restore Peace in Sundarbans and Operation Mangrove Shield, were underway to eliminate piracy and improve security in coastal areas.
The operations aim to protect people who depend on the forest for their livelihoods and curb criminal activities in the Sundarbans.