Members of Myanmar’s armed group, the Arakan Army, abducted 18 Bangladeshi fishermen along with three fishing trawlers from the Bay of Bengal near St. Martin’s Island on Monday night.
The fishermen were seized while fishing in the Sita area, east of the island.
The abducted men were identified as Jahangir Alam, Md. Alamgir, Abdur Rahim, Md. Alam, Md. Sabbir, Md. Taiyub, Abu Taher, Moni Ullah, Rahmat Ullah, Abu Bakkar Siddique, Syed Ullah, Md. Rafiq, Absar Majhi, Md. Taher, Abdul Matlub, Hafez Ahmed, Aminurul Hossain, and Sala Uddin. All are residents of different villages on the island.
Confirming the incident, St. Martin’s Union Parishad Chairman Fayezul Islam said panic has spread among local fishermen:
“While fishing in the Sita area, 18 fishermen, along with three trawlers, were abducted by the Arakan Army. The matter has been reported to the authorities.”
A local fisherman described how armed men in a speedboat crossed into Bangladeshi waters from Myanmar, chased the trawlers at gunpoint, and took them away.
Trawler owners appealed for urgent government action:
“They seized my trawler along with two others while fishing. We call upon the government and law enforcement agencies to intervene and bring them back.”
Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sheikh Ehsan Uddin said:
“We have received reports that three trawlers with fishermen were taken away near St. Martin’s. The matter is under our attention.”
According to the Trawler Owners’ Association and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), the Arakan Army has abducted at least 318 Bangladeshi fishermen from the Naf River and Bay of Bengal areas in the past eight months.
Of them, 200 were returned in phases with BGB’s intervention, while about 100 remain in captivity. In recent days alone, 64 fishermen were reportedly abducted.
By Abdu Rashid Manik
Cox’s Bazar Life Photo
