Cox’s Bazar: Four Bangladeshi fishermen were abducted at gunpoint by Myanmar’s armed rebel group, the Arakan Army while fishing at the mouth of the Naf River in Teknaf.
The abduction took place around 11 AM on Tuesday (February 11) near the Golar Char area of Shah Porir Dwip in Teknaf. The abducted fishermen have been identified as Md. Hasan (30), the boatman, and Abdu Rokim (20), Md. Jaber (26), and Md. Hasan (16), all residents of Shah Porir Dwip South Para.
Confirming the incident, Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sheikh Ehsan Uddin stated, “We are aware of the abduction, and our law enforcement agencies are working to bring them back.”
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Ashiqur Rahman, Commanding Officer of Teknaf’s Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Battalion-2, said that while no formal complaint had been received, they were informed of the situation verbally and were actively working toward a resolution. Further details will be disclosed once the process is complete.
Bashir Ahmed, president of the South Boat Terminal in Shah Porir Dwip, explained, “Like every morning, the fishermen went to catch fish in the Naf River, but they were intercepted and taken away by the Arakan Army along with their boat. This has caused panic among the local fishing community, and we have informed the BGB and local authorities about the incident.”
This is not the first such incident. On October 6 last year, six fishing trawlers carrying 58 Bangladeshi fishermen left Teknaf’s Shah Porir Dwip Jetty for deep-sea fishing. On October 9, Myanmar’s navy abducted them. During the attack, a speedboat from the Myanmar Navy opened fire on a Bangladeshi fishing trawler, causing injuries to three fishermen, one of whom passed away immediately. The abducted fishermen were later released.
Following that incident, Bangladesh lodged a strong protest with Myanmar. More recently, on October 15, the BGB secured the return of 16 Bangladeshi fishermen who had been held by the Arakan Army in Rakhine, Myanmar.
The latest abduction raises fresh concerns over the security of Bangladeshi fishermen along the Naf River, an area that has increasingly become a flashpoint for border tensions.
By Abdur Rashid Manik
File Photo
