Robbers kill fisherman

A fisherman was killed and eight others suffered bullet injuries as robbers opened fire on them in the Bay of Bengal yesterday.

The gang also abducted at least 50 fishermen, said Nimai Chandra Das, secretary of Mohipur Fish Traders Association.

The dead is Moyjol, 45, of Laxmipur district. He was a driver of FB Basundhara-4, a fishing trawler.

    Abul Kashem, in charge of Mohipur Police Investigation Centre, confirmed the death and attack on the fishermen.

Of the eight injured, Gojnabi, Masud, Shah Alam, Siraj and Jasim of Bhola and Laxmipur have been undergoing treatment at Mohipur health centre in Kalaroa upazila.

Ansar Uddin Mollah, president of Alipur Trawler Owners Association, said an armed robber gang swooped on some 30 fishing trawlers in the Bay. Kuakata is about five kilometres from the spot.

They came to the spot with a speedy trawler around 11:00am and fired indiscriminately, killing Moyjol on the spot and injuring eight others. The gang then looted fish, cash and fuel from the trawlers and kidnapped 50 fishermen.

The gang would demand ransom from the trawler owners to free the fishermen, Ansar added. 

Jahangir Majhee, driver of fishing trawler FB Bismillah, said I somehow managed to escape the robbers' attack and came back to Alipur.

“We couldn't identify the gang,” he said.