Four fishing trawlers—FB Tufan-2, FB Madina-1, FB Ma-1, and FB Tarek-1—were attacked by pirates while fishing in the Bay of Bengal near Patharghata, Barguna. During the robbery, pirates assaulted seven fishermen and shot another, leaving a total of eight injured. The attackers looted fish worth around Tk 2 million, Tk 50,000 in cash, and about 30 mobile phones from the trawlers.
The Bangladesh Coast Guard’s South Zone rescued the injured fishermen and the hijacked vessels around 9:30 PM on Thursday, April 10. The injured were taken to Patharghata Upazila Health Complex, where one of the victims, Bellal, was referred to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal for advanced treatment.
Coast Guard media officer HM Harun-or-Rashid confirmed the incident to the press later that night.
According to the Coast Guard and local fishermen, the four trawlers had set out to deep sea from Patharghata. Around 25 to 30 masked pirates, armed with firearms and local weapons, launched a coordinated attack on the vessels. Witnesses reported that the assailants spoke in the Chittagong dialect, indicating their possible origin.
The pirates looted fishing nets worth about Tk 6 million, fish valued between Tk 2–2.2 million, Tk 50,000–60,000 in cash, and 30 mobile phones. When the fishermen tried to resist, seven were physically assaulted, and one was shot with a shotgun. After the robbery, the pirates disabled the engines of all four trawlers before fleeing the scene.
A similar incident occurred just a day earlier, on Wednesday night, April 9, in the Bay of Bengal between Dhalchar and Hatiya under Bhola district, where over 50 fishermen were injured, including some with gunshot wounds.
Liberty News’ local correspondent reports that authorities are investigating the incidents and have stepped up patrols in the area.
LND/NE
