Sundarbans: Members of the Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) during a drive have rescued four fishermen who were held hostage along with weapons and ammunition from the hideout of notorious robber Jahangir Bahini in the Sundarbans.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Media Officer of the BCG Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq reported the successful operation this afternoon. The hostages were identified as Md. Mofizul Islam, 42, Md. Habibur Rahman, 37, Md. Habibur, 35, and Oshahjahan Gazi, 40, all residents of Koyra, Dakop and Shyamnagar upazilas of Satkhira district.
Based on secret information, authorities learned that the notorious robber Jahangir Bahini had taken several fishermen hostage in the Arbauni Canal area adjacent to the Shibsa River. Acting on a tip-off, a special drive was conducted at around 5am today by the Coast Guard Base Mongla and Outpost Nalian.
During the operation, a BCG team fired two rounds of blank fire to prompt the robbers to surrender. Subsequently, the robbers fled into the forest, abandoning their boat and the hostages. The team seized one single-barrel gun, two air guns, and three rounds of live cartridges from the robbers’ boat and successfully rescued the four fishermen.
Interrogation of the rescued fishermen revealed that they had been held hostage for 10 days and subjected to torture by members of the Jahangir Bahini to extort ransom. The process of taking further legal action against the perpetrators and handling the seized weapons and ammunition is currently underway.