Arakan Army abducts 33 Bangladeshi fishermen in three days
PARBATTANEWS ONLINE DESK
Thirty-three Bangladeshi fishermen have been abducted over three consecutive days by the Myanmar-based armed group Arakan Army, according to local officials.
The incidents occurred as the fishermen were returning from the Bay of Bengal near the Teknaf coast in Cox’s Bazar.
The most recent abduction took place on Monday, 25 August, at around 11:30 am. Abul Kalam, General Secretary of the Trawler Owners’ Association, said seven fishermen were taken at gunpoint from the Naikkhyangdia area of Shahpari Island in Teknaf.
He said the trawler belonged to Umar Siddique, son of Abdul Monaf, a resident of Chowdhuripara in Teknaf municipality.
According to Kalam, similar incidents had taken place on the previous two days. On Sunday, 14 fishermen were abducted, while another 12 were taken on Saturday.
“One of the skippers reported the chase and abduction by mobile phone,” Kalam added. “He said armed men arrived in speedboats, held the fishermen at gunpoint, and took them towards the Fatongja canal.”
Teknaf Upazila Executive Officer Sheikh Ehsan Uddin confirmed the incidents. “For the past few days, Arakan Army members have been abducting Bangladeshi trawlers and fishermen returning from the Bay of Bengal,” he said.
“We have informed higher authorities and requested that law enforcement increase surveillance in the area,” he added.
According to local administration sources, the Arakan Army has abducted 244 fishermen between December last year and August this year from different points in the Naf River and the Bay of Bengal.
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) was able to recover 189 fishermen and 27 trawlers or boats during that period, the sources said.
Local representatives and trawler owners have called for urgent and effective intervention by the authorities to ensure the safety of fishermen operating in the area.
