5 bodies floating in canals

Five bodies were found floating in the canals of Sundarbans yesterday following Sunday's fierce gunfight between two pirate groups.

Of the deceased, four were identified as Masum, 40, and Khalil, 38, of Sharankhola upazila, Bachchu, 35, and Faruque, 37, of Mongla upazila in Bagerhat.

The body of a man aged over 50 and wearing uniform of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) could not be identified yet.

Local sources said the bodies were not recovered till 5:30pm yesterday for an unknown reason although those corpses were seen at Dudmukhi, Lathimara and Bharani canals Monday evening.

Sources in the coastguard confirmed that the five pirates were among those killed in a fierce gunfight between Raju Bahini and Zulfikar Bahini at Dudmukhi canal under Sharankhola upazila. No one has so far claimed the bodies, police said.

Meanwhile, coastguard members recovered two trawlers from Lathimara canal during a special operation on Monday. The pirates of Raju Bahini used the trawlers, sources said.

Besides, coastguards and forest guards in another joint operation rescued 25 fishermen and recovered eight fishing boats from Dudmukhi canal on July 31.

The fishermen, hailing from Sharankhola upazila, were kidnapped by pirates to realise Tk one lakh each from them, said Lieutenant Lokman Hakim of coastguards west zone.