Barguna, Aug 10 (bdnews24.com) – In a sudden spate of pirate attacks, 11 fishing trawlers were hijacked and some 200 fishermen abducted from the Bay of Bengal adjacent to the coastal area in Barguna district in the last two days.

Besides, 14 fishermen went missing after the pirates sank a trawler.

Quoting the fishermen who survived the attacks, Barguna District Trawler Owners Association President Golam Mostafa Chowdhury told this to reporters at Patharghata port on Friday.

Barguna District Trawler Workers Union President Abdul Mannan Majhi said that some 70 pirates, on board seven trawlers, swooped on the trawlers of the fishermen near Halar canal in the Sundarbans on Thursday around 8pm.

They also looted cash, fishing nets, machinery, fuel oil, Hilsa fishes and valuables worth several millions taka from the trawlers.

Pirates demanded Tk 100,000 as ransom for release of each abducted fishermen and Tk 500,000 for returning each of the trawlers, the fishermen who reached Patharghata shore on Friday from the Bay said.

They said that there were 8,000 to 10,000 pieces of Hilsa fishes in each of the hijacked trawlers.

When contacted, Lt Ishtiaq, Commander of Coastguard (South Zone) Pathorghata station, said that on information, a Coastguard team from Mongla west zone was sent to the spot of occurrence.

However, Lt Commander Harun-or-Rashid, Commander of the patrol team of Coastguard (West Zone) Mongla station, said as the incident took place in the deep sea, the pirates had fled into the deep forests of the Sundarbans before the Coastguard team reached the spot.

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