After the surrender of notorious ring leader Joynal Speaker in Bangladesh last year, another gang of pirates has emerged which has kept several thousand fishermen virtually hostage in the country’s Meghna estuary now.
Fishermen have to keep red flags hoisted in their boats and trawlers after collecting 'token' from Alauddin Bahini on payment of toll, which ranges from Tk 10,000 to Tk 50,000.
According to sources in fishermen's associations, 183 fishing boats and trawlers in Tajumuddin, Borhanuddin and Lalmohan upazilas of Bhola have collected red flags after paying tolls. No fisherman can fish in the estuary defying them.
At least 10 fishermen were killed and 60 injured, 40 of them bullet-hit, in attacks by the gang members in last one year for defiance, the sources said. They also abducted 120 fishermen, threw 32 into the river and snatched 110 fishing trawlers since June last year. They collect ransom ranging from Tk 10,000 to Tk 50,000 for release of abducted fishermen.
In last one month, the gang looted at least sixty fishing boats in the area.
Following earlier press reports, law enforcers had launched massive hunts and arrested most of Joynal Speaker's gang members. Kala Faruk was shot dead, notorious Jahangir fled the area and Jainal Speaker surrendered to police. The situation improved, but the waters did not remain peaceful for fishermen for long.
One Alauddin of Mirjakalu in Tajumuddin organised a gang of armed pirates, allegedly with the help of a local Union Parishad chairman and some influential ruling party leaders. They have recruited pirates from Tajumuddin, Char Tozammal, Char Manpura and Kailash Char. They collected Tk 15,000 each from Abdul Barek, Mokhles Khan, abducted during piracy in fishing boats Sikandar Majhi and Harun Majhi on June 14. The abducted fishermen were rescued from Boyar Char after payment of tolls. The gang leader used cell phones (0172-542721 and 0172-244063) during the toll collection, the sources said.
Fishing boats were looted between June 17 and June 21. At least 25 other trawlers were looted between June 23 and July 14, the sources alleged.
Complaints to police produced no result, they alleged. A high official in Bhola police, when contacted, talked to this correspondent seeking anonymity. He said armed pirates are active in bordering areas of Bhola, Laxmipur and Noakhali districts. “They have sophisticated firearms and better transports than we have.†Only a joint combing operation by police in the districts can control piracy in the Meghna estuary, he said.