Gunfight with forest robbers; 2 arrested, arms seized
Two forest robbers, arrested with arms and ammunition after a gunfight with coastguards in the Sundarbans early yesterday, are at Koira Police Station in Khulna district. Photo: Banglar Chokh
Law enforcers rescued six abducted fishermen from the Sundarbans under Koira upazila of Khulna and a char area in the river Megna under Monpura upazila of Bhola yesterday.
Our Khulna correspondent reported that four fishermen, kidnapped by forest robbers from the Sundarbans a week ago, were rescued by coastguards after a gunfight with the gang early yesterday.
The coastguard members also arrested two robbers and seized five firearms, 207 bullets and two cellphones from a trawler looted by the robbers. The arrestees are Robiul Islam, 27, son of Wazed Ali of Goalkhali village and Monirul Islam Moni, 28, son of Nesar Ali of Aungtiara village in the upazila.
Acting on a tip off, a special team of coastguard raided a den in Batulia Canal in the mangrove forest under Koyra upazila at around 3:00am.
Sensing the presence of coastguards, the forest robbers belonging to 'Shirsha Bahini' opened fire, prompting the law enforcers to retaliate, said Lt Commander M Mohiuddin Mojumder of coastguard west zone.
After an hour-long gunfight, coastguards arrested the two members of the notorious robber gang, while the rest managed to flee. They rescued fishermen Sahib Ali, Abdur Rahman, Mofizul Islam and Md Amirul Islam from a trawler at the den and seized three one barrel gun, one short gun, one pipe gun and 207 bullets from there, the commander said.
The arrested robbers were later handed over to Koira police he said.
Forest robbers kidnapped the four fishermen while they were fishing in the Batulia Canal in the Sundarbans a week ago and demanded Tk 3 lakh ransom for release of the each fisherman, coastguard sources said.
In Bhola, Police yesterday rescued two of the six fishermen abducted by a gang of robbers from Taura area in Dhalchar (landmass emerged in the Megna) under Charfashion upazila of the district early Friday, according our correspondent.
The rescued fishermen are Siraj and Nofiullah. Law enforcers from Kalatali police camp under Monpura upazila raided Jaglar Char in the river Meghna at noon and rescued the two.
Police also recovered one of the four trawlers looted by the robbers from there. Police said they could not arrest any of the gang members as they managed to flee the scene, taking the rest four fishermen with them.
Police said the gang led by notorious 'Kalam Dakat' swooped on four Trawlers belonging to Faruk Majhi, Jahangir Majhi, Hanif Majhi and Nofiullah Majhi in Taura area in the river at around 4:00am and abducted them along with Malek and Saifullah from there.
On information, Char Nizam police conducted several drives in the area on Friday but they could not rescue any of the abducted fishermen or arrest any of gang members.
The robbers later released the trawler of Nofiullah Majhi with some fishermen on board, asking them to inform the families of the abducted men to send ransom for their release.
They demanded one lakh for each of the fisherman and Tk two lakh for each of the tree trawlers.
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