Pirates loot 75 trawlers, abduct 65 fishermen

In Swarankhola, at least 25 fishermen were injured as they tried to resist pirates who looted 25 trawlers there. The pirates used speed boats and firearms during piracy.

Our Barisal Correspondent reports: At least 52 fishing trawlers were looted and 65 fishermen and crew on board five trawlers were abducted by pirates from Friday morning to yesterday afternoon. This was the second onslaught by pirates in Barguna- Patharghata coasts in a week, trawler owners and fishermen's associations in the area said.

They also claimed that 17 crew who were abducted earlier bought their freedom after payment of 2.4 lakh ransom. The payment was made by their men at a hotel in Nirala Bazar in Khulna city yesterday morning. They had gone for fishing in the Sundarbans coast onboard four trawlers named FB Muktamala, Allahar Dan, Shahjahan and Arafat, claimed Mustafa Chowdhury, president of Barguna Trawler Owners Associations. They said they received a message from the victims over cell phone yesterday morning.

Armed pirates belonging to Sumon-Kamal gang using speed boats first swooped on eight trawlers in Dimer Char at about noon on Friday, he said.

The eight trawlers were FB Shah Amanat and Tarikul Islam belonged to Sagir Company, FB Shamsunnahar and FB Mayer Doa of Abu Bakar Molla and Jalil Mridha of Patharghata, FB Shamim Ara and FB Zonaki of Babul Jomaddar and Adaru Khalifa of Tafalbaria, FB Shahalam of Chan Mia of Pirojpur and DB Janoni belonged to Abdul Malek of Barguna.

The pirates looted fishes and fishing equipment worth about Tk 50 lakh from the 52 trawlers, he said.

Twenty of the trawlers were from Patharghata, 13 from Barguna, 11 from Pirojpur and eight from Sharonkhola, he claimed. The piracy was committed on 65 square kilometers area in Dula, Dimerchar, Kochikhali, Mohipur costs.

The pirates abducted 65 crew and fishermen along with their five 5 trawlers including FB Charmoisha, FB Shanu.

Our Staff Correspondent reports from Khulna:

At least 25 fishermen were injured when fishermen tried to resist attacks on their trawlers by pirates in the Bay on Friday.

Hundreds of fishing trawlers left the Bay Friday afternoon out of panic as piracy took an alarming turn in recent days.

According to Delwar Farazi and Sobhan Shikder of Swarankhola Fish Traders Association, 40 pirates divided in four groups looted fishes and money from 25 fishing trawlers. The piracy continued from about 11 am to 2 pm Friday, they said.

The pirates were carrying sawn-off guns, arrows and large daggers, they said.