The Arakan Army, an armed rebel group in Myanmar, detained a cargo ship for 16 days before finally releasing it. The vessel arrived at Teknaf Land Port in Cox’s Bazar at 12:45 PM on Saturday (February 1).
Syed Mohammad Anwar Hossain, Manager of United Land Port in Teknaf, confirmed the news, stating, “Earlier, two cargo ships were released on January 20. Finally, the return of the third vessel has brought relief to traders.
On January 16, while en route from Yangon to Teknaf, three cargo ships carrying over 50,000 sacks of dried fish, betel nut, coffee, and other goods were seized at the Naf River estuary by the Arakan Army. Two ships were freed on January 20, but the third remained detained until now.
Businessman Ehteshamul Haque Bahadur expressed partial relief, saying, “With the last ship now returned, we feel somewhat reassured. However, no new cargo shipments have arrived from Yangon since this incident, which could disrupt trade.”
Importer Mohammad Ullah stated, “Our shipment of 1,600 sacks of dried fish was onboard. After a long wait, we are relieved to finally receive our goods.”
Teknaf Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) Sheikh Ehsan Uddin confirmed that the released cargo ship had docked at the port, and unloading operations were underway.
By Rajin Saleh
Photo: Collected
