18 Teknaf fishermen still missing

Eighteen fishermen, who went missing from the Naf river in Cox's Bazar's Teknaf upazila on Tuesday, remained traceless till last night.

According to their family members, they were detained by the Border Guard Police (BGP) of Myanmar, a claim that could not be verified.

A local fisherman, who claimed to be a witness, said the fishermen were returning to Shah Porir Dwip after catching fish. A BGP speedboat chased them in Naikyangdia area and took them away at gunpoint.

Abdus Salam, a member of ward-9 in the upazila's Sabrang union, also confirmed that the fishermen went missing.

Contacted, Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer Parvez Chowdhury said the matter was reported to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

Also, the local administration distributed food and gave financial assistance to the victims' family members, he added.

Talking to this newspaper, BGB-2 Commander Lt Col Sheikh Khalid Mohammad Iftekhar said they sent a letter to the BGP asking if they detained the Bangladeshi fishermen.

However, they have not received any response as of 10:00pm.