Chased by Arakan Army, fishing trawler capsizes in Naf River
However, seven fishermen swam safely to shore
A fishing trawler capsized at the Naf River estuary while being chased by the Arakan Army during returning to Teknaf in Cox's Bazar after fishing in the Bay of Bengal.
However, seven fishermen managed to reach the shore alive.
The incident took place around 1:30 pm on Monday at the "Gora" area of Badarmokam on Shahparir Island, said Abul Kalam, general secretary of the Kayukkhalia Ghat Trawler Owners' Association in Teknaf.
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The rescued fishermen are Sultan Ahmed, Nur Kabir, Kabir Ahmed, Ali Hossain, Sona Mia, Gafur Alam, and Abdul Amin Majhi.
Abul Kalam said the trawler, owned by Mohammad Hashem of Natun Pallanpara in Teknaf Sadar, went to sea for fishing on Friday.
The trawler was chased by Arakan Army speedboats near Naikhyangdia yesterday afternoon, while returning with fish worth several lakh taka. The boatman steered towards the Naf River estuary for shelter, but the vessel capsized in strong waves, resulting in the loss of fish, nets, and other valuables.
Trawler owner Mohammad Hashem said the trawler sank after being hit by waves during the chase. It remains stuck in sand and could break apart under the waves.
Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sheikh Ehsan Uddin said he had received reports that a fishing trawler capsized after being chased by the Arakan Army.
Earlier the same day, around 11:30 am, the Arakan Army seized another trawler along with seven fishermen from the Naikhyangdia estuary. The trawler belongs to Umar Siddique, a resident of Chowdhuripara in Teknaf municipality.
Over the past 20 days, the Arakan Army has abducted 40 fishermen — including 14 last Sunday and 12 the previous Saturday.
Since December last year, a total of 244 Bangladeshi fishermen have been abducted from the Naf River and the Bay of Bengal.
