Arakan Army abducts 11 fishermen, seizes 5 trawlers from Naf River estuary

HNILA CORRESPONDENT

Myanmar’s rebel group Arakan Army abducted 11 Bangladeshi fishermen and seized five fishing trawlers from the Naf River estuary in Teknaf on Tuesday.

The incident occurred around 12:30pm when armed members of the group crossed the river near Saint Martin’s Island using speedboats and intercepted the boats at gunpoint, said Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Sheikh Ehshan Uddin.

Of the five trawlers, three belong to fishermen from Teknaf and two from Shah Porir Dwip, according to local sources.

So far, the owners of two trawlers have been identified — Md Kalam and Md Shawon of Teknaf. Kalam’s boat had five crew members, while Shawon’s had six. The owners of the remaining three trawlers are yet to be traced.

Family members of the abducted fishermen said the incident has been reported to the Bangladesh Coast Guard and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

Local fishing communities say such abductions have become increasingly frequent in recent weeks, especially in the Naf River and Bay of Bengal. Although some fishermen have been returned with the help of BGB, the boats and their catch are rarely recovered.

Trawler owners and fishermen families say they are living in fear and incurring heavy losses.

Besides, many fishermen are now struggling to feed their families, they said, urging the authorities to take immediate steps to ensure their safety and livelihoods.