Forest bandits have abducted five fishermen from coastal Khalkhali canal in the Sundarbans at gunpoint, demanding ransom.
Though three out the five fishermen got freed after paying the ransom as per demand, two are yet to be released.
Those still abducted are Mofijur Rahman, 33, and Mrinal Sardar, 3. They are residents of Satkhira’s Shyamnagar and Khulna’s Koyra upazilas respectively.
The fishermen who paid ransom are Joydeb, Mukul and Rezaul, all from separate villages of Shyamnagar
Abdur Rahim, a fisherman who escaped from the Sundarbans, said that they went to catch crabs two days back.
At night on Wednesday and Thursday morning, they were held captive by four armed men near Khalkhali and Chhunkuri rivers, he said.
After receiving Tk 10, 000 for each as ransom, the bandits released three fishermen, he said.
Another fisherman Abul Basar said the kidnappers had two single-barreled guns and used sticks to beat the fishermen immediately after their capture.
Hasanur Rahman, Assistant Forest Conservator of Satkhira range, said that no formal complaints have been made regarding the kidnapping or ransom incidents, but he confirmed they learned about it through media reports.
Shyamnagar Police Station’s Inspector (investigation) Fakir Taijur Rahman informed that no written complaints have been filed by the families of the kidnapped fishermen thus far.
