Arakan Army abducts four fishermen along with their boat again
The incident comes less than a month after the group abducted 14 fishermen along with two trawlers from southeast of Saint Martin’s Island on 30 September (Tuesday). Earlier, the Arakan Army had also detained 122 fishermen with 15 trawlers, who have not yet been returned
Members of the Arakan Army (AA), an armed rebel group from Myanmar, have abducted four fishermen at gunpoint along with their fishing boat from the Naikhyangdia area near the mouth of the Naf River in Teknaf, Cox's Bazar.
The incident comes less than a month after the group abducted 14 fishermen along with two trawlers from southeast of Saint Martin's Island on 30 September (Tuesday). Earlier, the Arakan Army had also detained 122 fishermen with 15 trawlers, who have not yet been returned.
The abducted fishermen have been identified as two brothers — Abdur Rahman (38) and Abul Kalam (40) — and Shafi Alam (19), all residents of Jaliapara in Shah Porir Dwip. A Rohingya fisherman named Monir Ahmad is also believed to have been taken with them.
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According to Abdul Gani, president of the Shah Porir Dwip Jaliapara Small Fishermen's Cooperative Association, the abduction took place around 10:30 a.m. on Monday. He said the fishermen were heading out to sea in a boat owned by Abdur Rahman when, upon reaching the Naikhyangdia area of the Naf River estuary, a high-speed boat from Myanmar's Fatongza area intercepted them. The armed men held the fishermen at gunpoint and took them, along with their boat, toward Myanmar.
"No trace of the fishermen has been found so far, and their families are living in fear," Gani said. He added that for a long time, Arakan Army members have been capturing Bangladeshi trawlers and fishermen from this part of the river. Currently, 126 fishermen and 16 trawlers or boats are believed to be in their custody.
Abdus Salam, a member of ward no. 9 of the Sabrang Union Parishad, confirmed hearing about the incident from local fishermen. "Four fishermen from my constituency, along with their boat from Jaliapara, were taken by the Arakan Army. We have informed the local administration," he said.
Repeated calls to the official phone numbers of the Teknaf-2 BGB (Border Guard Bangladesh) and the Teknaf Coast Guard Station Commanders went unanswered.
Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sheikh Ehsan Uddin said, "We have heard from locals that four fishermen and a boat were abducted. We are verifying the details. The BGB and Coast Guard authorities have been informed to take necessary action."
According to BGB data, from December last year to the evening of Monday, 27 October, the Arakan Army has abducted 315 Bangladeshi fishermen from various points along the Naf River and the Bay of Bengal. Of them, 189 fishermen and 27 vessels have been returned through several rounds of negotiation, but 126 fishermen and 16 trawlers remain unreturned.
