BGB rescues 29 fishermen abducted by Arakan Army from Naf River
Of the 29 rescued fishermen, 15 were Bangladeshi and 14 were Rohingya
The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has rescued 29 fishermen who were abducted by the Arakan Army while fishing in the Naf River in Teknaf, Cox's Bazar.
The fishermen were brought back to Bangladesh at 6:15pm today (27 February) through the jetty ghat near Chowdhury Para in Teknaf municipality, said Lieutenant Colonel Md Ashiqur Rahman, commander of the Teknaf 2nd Battalion of BGB.
Of the 29 fishermen, 15 are Bangladeshi nationals and 14 are Rohingya fishermen.
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Lieutenant Colonel Rahman explained that the ongoing conflict in Myanmar's Rakhine State has made the border region unstable, with most areas along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border under the control of the Arakan Army.
"This has led to numerous incidents of Bangladeshi fishermen being abducted while fishing in the Naf River. These fishermen had been held captive by the Arakan Army for a long time," he added.
He further said, "The BGB contacted the Arakan Army and launched an operation to retrieve the fishermen abducted at various times from the Naf River. After extensive efforts, we successfully brought back 29 fishermen this evening."
Following their return to the Teknaf jetty, the fishermen are being questioned, and later, they will be handed over to Teknaf Police Station, who will arrange for their return to their families.
Earlier in the afternoon, a BGB team, accompanied by two wooden trawlers, departed for Maungdaw to bring back the remaining fishermen still in Myanmar.
On 22 February, 19 fishermen along with four trawlers were abducted from various locations, including Teknaf Jetty Ghat area of Naf River.
Additionally, on 10 February, four fishermen and two trawlers were captured near the estuary of the Naf River, and on 16 November last year, six fishermen were captured from Palangkhali border area of Ukhiya Upazila.
