Arakan Army abduct over 150 Bangladeshi fishermen in 5 months

Three thousand fishermen from Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar stopped fishing in Naf River and the Bay of Bengal for nearly a week fearing abduction by the Arakam Army. The armed Myanmar insurgent group already abducted over 150 fishermen in the last five months.

Meanwhile, a 58-day ban on fishing imposed by the government came into effect from Monday night.

As fishermen have been forced to stop fishing beforehand, their families are now facing hardship.

The Naf river covers an 84km water border of the 217km Bangladesh-Myanmar border. The Arakan Army increased patrolling in Naf river over the past three months. As abduction of fishermen with trawlers rose in the area, fishermen blamed the insurgent group from Rakhine state.

The Arakan Army lastly abducted 23 fishermen along with four fishing boats at gun point from Moulavirsheel area within the Bangladesh maritime border in the Bay of Bengal off the Saint Martin Island around 11:30 am on 8 April.

As a result, 3,000 fishermen of at least 400 trawls stopped fishing in Naf river and the Bay of Bengal for five days.

Regarding this, Teknaf 2 Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) battalion Lt. Col. Md Ashiqur Rahman said Arakam Army increased their activities at various points from Naf river and the Bay of Bengal since they took over Maungdaw township of the Rakhine state on 8 December last year.

According to him, since then, the armed group abducted 151 Bangladeshi fishermen. BGB, however, managed to bring back 134 of them and was trying to rescue the remaining ones as soon as possible, he added.

Lt. Col. Ashiqur Rahman also said they were trying to establish a communication with the Arakan Army over the abduction of 23 Bangladeshi fishermen, and something good is likely in a day or two. Previously, BGB brought back over 150 fishermen who were abducted by the Arakan Army at various times.

Trawler owners claimed the Arakam Army entered Naf river on the Bangladesh side of the border by speed boats and kidnapped the fishermen of Teknaf along with fishing boats at gun point. Recently, some fishermen were rescued at the BGB’s initiatives, but abduction has not stopped.

Several fishermen, who were rescued recently after being abducted, shared their experiences.

According to them, the Arakan Army is kidnapping Bangladeshi fishermen from Naf river to establish a good relation and regular communication with the government of Bangladesh.

They claimed that the Arakan Army members expressed this willingness to them when they were in the insurgent group’s detention in Rakhine.

Teknaf upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Sk Ahsan Uddin said the Arakan Army imposed a ban on movement of vessels and fishing in Naf river after they took control of the Rakhine state in December last year. Fishermen from Teknaf have been warned of it so that they no longer enter Myanmar territory while fishing in Naf river.

Yet, the Bangladesh fishermen are being abducted, about which the high level of the government has been informed, he added.

Visiting the Shah Porir Dwip jetty, more than 200 trawlers were seen anchoring there. More than 100 trawlers also remained anchored in the Jaliapara jetty. Fishermen were seen repairing fishing nets on the nearby embankments. More than 100 trawlers reportedly remained anchored in Saint Martin’s Island.

Prothom Alo spoke to fishermen Abdul Amin, Nur Alam, Mohammad Hossain and Riaz Uddin. They said more than 3,000 fishermen face financial crisis because of the halt to fishing and they are struggling to run their families.

The Arakan Army abducted 23 fishermen along with four trawlers off the Saint Martin’s Island coast on 8 April. Those fishing boats were from Shah Porir Dwip. A certain Abdur Shukkur owns a trawler that had five fishermen on board, Mohammad Shawn owns another trawler that had six fishermen and Abdul Hakim owns two trawlers that had 12 fishermen on board.

Abdur Shukkur and Abdul Hakim said they could find the whereabouts of the missing fishermen. The Arakan Army came by speed boats and abducted the fishermen from the sea. They then took those fishermen to the Naikhongdia area of the Rakhine state at gun point.

Families are worried as their latest information remains unknown. Previously, Bangladesh could send protest letters and hold flag meetings when the junta government controlled the Rakhine state. It has not been possible to establish communication immediately as the armed group took over the Rakhine state.

Member of ward No. 7 of Sabrang union’s Shah Porir Dwip Abdul Mannan said the 58-day ban on fishing in Bay of Bengal imposed by the government began on 15 April, likely to raise sufferings to the families of 10,000 – 15,000 fishermen.

The fishermen could not fish much for the past two and a half months, resulting in an acute crisis of sea fish in the markets, he remarked.