11 fishermen freed after paying ransom

Eleven fishermen, who were held hostage by forest bandits in the Sundarbans for seven days, returned to their families on Sunday after paying a ransom of Tk 7.7 lakh. 

Despite their release, no formal complaint has been lodged with the police as of May 10.

The victims, hailing from various regions including Sharankhola, Patharghata and Batiaghata, were abducted on the night of May 3 by a gang known as 'Jahangir Bahini.' 

In a dramatic turn of events, a gunfight broke out between the Jahangir Bahini and a rival gang, 'Sharif Bahini,' three days into the abduction. The Sharif Bahini eventually took control of the hostages and moved them to an undisclosed location within the forest.

One of the released fishermen, Rubel Howlader said that after the took over of Sharif Bahini a ransom was negotiated and they released them at the mouth of the Dhansagar Aruabayar River early Friday morning once the payment was made.

A local businessman revealed that the bandits initially demanded Tk 1 lakh per person. After extensive negotiations, the amount was reduced to Tk 70,000 per fisherman, totaling TK 7.7 lakh which was reportedly paid via mobile banking.

Local sources suggest that the victims are hesitant to file official complaints out of fear of future retaliation when they return to the forest for work.

Sharankhola Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) Md. Shaminul Haque confirmed that they had heard reports of the release following a ransom payment. 

However, he noted that no victims had yet come forward to file a case and assured that legal action would be initiated as soon as a formal complaint is received.

TZ