Jan 10/2026: Fishermen, woodcutters (Bawalies), honey collectors (Mowalis), crab catchers, and others earning their livelihood in the Sundarbans—the world’s largest mangrove forest and home to Bengal tigers—have increasingly become hostages of armed pirates.
Sources report that these pirate gangs now operate with sophisticated weapons, far outmatching the standard arms of forest guards.
The bandits not only poach deer and tigers, sending them to the city through local contacts, but also carry out kidnappings at gunpoint, loot fishing trawlers, and steal money and personal belongings. In some cases, fishermen have been killed for failing to pay ransom, their hands and feet tied before being thrown into the sea. As a result, roughly 15,000 fishing families along the coast are living in fear and unable to carry out their work safely.
Pirate gangs have also introduced a so-called “token system,” forcing some trawler and boat owners to pay for the safety of their men and goods during the peak fishing season.
On January 2, 2026, the Masum Bahini gang abducted two tourists from Dhaka, Sohel and Jony, and a resort owner, Shipoti Basar, from Kanurkhal area in the eastern division of Sundarbans under Chandpai Range, demanding a ransom of Tk 40 lakh. Law enforcement rescued all three individuals alive on the same day from Kailashganj near Gazi Fish Culture under Dacope upazila.
Lieutenant Commander (Operation) Md Abrar Hasan of the Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG), West Zone, said at a January 8 press briefing that a joint operation with RAB and police was carried out at Kailashganj on January 7, resulting in the arrest of Masum Mridha, alias chief of Masum Bahini, and his assistant Izaj Fakir. During the raid, authorities seized three locally made single-shot guns, eight live cartridges, four used cartridges, one Chinese Kural, two locally made Kurals, a sharp Da (knife), and a still pipe.
Lt. Commander Hasan added that over the past year, law enforcement has confiscated 38 foreign firearms, 74 locally made firearms, two handmade bombs, and 448 live cartridges. Additionally, 52 fishermen abducted for ransom have been rescued. “Coast Guard ships patrol the area round the clock to curb piracy and ensure the safety of fishermen,” he said.
Freed fishermen described harrowing experiences in captivity, including tight security and repeated death threats for delays in ransom payments. The fate of those still held remains unknown.
According to fishermen, at least 10 to 15 major pirate gangs operate in the Sundarbans, killing deer daily for food and supplying venison to influential city dwellers through local intermediaries. Around 100 pirates remain active in coastal areas, often holding abducted fishermen in forest camps.
The Sundarbans spans 6,017 square kilometers, with 4,143 sq km of land and 1,874 sq km of water across Khulna, Bagerhat, and Satkhira districts along the Bay of Bengal. The forest is home to 425 species of trees, herbs, and creepers, and 246 species of wild animals, including spotted deer, estuarine crocodiles, and the Royal Bengal Tiger.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Sundarbans West Division AZM Hasanur Rahman stressed that improved infrastructure and communication are essential for forest protection, along with rapid deployment of law enforcement and forest guards to combat crime.
Conservator of Forests (CF), Khulna Circle, Md Imran Ahmed said, “Our priority is the security of wildlife, fishermen, and bawalis, who are crucial sources of revenue. Forest guards across the Sundarbans will soon receive better firearms, training, and faster river vessels to strengthen protection.”
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