11 trawlers looted in Bay: 2 fishermen missing, 27 hurt
Our Correspondent, Barisal
At least 27 fishermen were injured and two are missing as armed pirates looted over Tk 20 lakh in cash fish and equipment from 11 trawlers in the Bay of Bengal in two days during Eid-ul Azha. Eleven fishermen were thrown into the sea. Nine were rescued by other trawlers but two of them --Shahidul, 30, and Jamal, 35-- are still missing, according to survivors who reached Patharghata coastal in Barguna district on Sunday night. The trawlers looted are FB Tin Bhai, FB Jasim, FB Erfan, FB Mamun, FB Khalil, FB Barkat, FB Bismillah, FB Ramzan, FB Sekander, FB Mustafa and FB Nijami. These were looted in Bishkhali and Baleswar river estuary, and in Katka, Chandreshwar and Kachikhali areas in the Bay near the Sunderbans. The survivors said terrorists have moved to the sea are committing piracy following deployment of RAB (rapid Action Battalion) in different upazilas in Barisal, Patuakhali, Barguna, Jhalakati,Ê Pirojpur and Bhola districts. Many terrorists have also fled to the Sunderbans and adjoining areas, they claimed. The pirates also collect tolls ranging from Tk 20,00 to Tk 50,000 per trawler, the victims said.
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