Sundarbans, Nov 11 (V7N) — A fisherman named Hafizul has been abducted by the notorious forest pirate group “Suman Bahini” from the Loittakhali canal in the Sundarbans. The abducted man, Hafizul, is the son of Afzal Howlader from Boga village in Kachua upazila of Bagerhat district.

According to Md. Kamal Uddin Ahmed, Chairman of the Dubla Fishermen’s Group, Hafizul and seven other fishermen went to catch fish in the Loittakhali canal near Dubla Island early Monday morning aboard a fishing trawler. Suddenly, members of the Suman Bahini gang appeared in another trawler and forcibly took Hafizul away. Before leaving, the pirates handed two mobile phone numbers to the trawler’s skipper, Shahin, instructing him to contact them within two days regarding ransom negotiations.

Ahmed added that the abduction has reignited fear among fishermen operating in the Dubla Island region of the Sundarbans, where pirate attacks had subsided in recent years following several joint anti-piracy drives.

Forest Ranger Milton Roy, Officer-in-Charge of the Dubla Fishermen’s Patrol Outpost, confirmed that Hafizul had obtained an official fishing permit from the forest department before entering the canal. “We have already informed the Bangladesh Coast Guard about the abduction. A joint operation will soon be launched to rescue the victim and capture the culprits,” he said.

Local sources report that fishermen in the area are now avoiding deep forest waterways out of fear of renewed pirate activity. Authorities have urged fishermen to maintain communication with security forces and avoid isolated zones until the situation stabilizes.

END/AHS/SMA/