11 abducted fishermen freed after ransom paid

Barguna, Jan 22 (bdnews24.com) – Eleven of the 120 fishermen abducted by pirates in the Sundarbans near Barguna in the past two days have been set free, apparently after paying ransom.

The released fishermen reached Patharghata fish port on Saturday noon with five hijacked trawlers.

Pirates hijacked 17 trawlers and abducted 120 fishermen from Fairway Buoy area of the Bay of Bengal on Thursday night.

The released fishermen said the remaining 109 hostages were being kept in a remote area of the Sundarbans. Pirates were demanding Tk 21.8 million for their release, they said.

Barguna trawler owners' association president Golam Mostafa Chowdhury said, "Fishing Boat Samsunnahar, FB Bhai Bhai, FB Rehana, FB Malek Paikar-2 and FB Sirajul have returned to the port with 11 freed fishermen."

They were set free as they could pay ransom to the pirates, Mostafa added

Meanwhile, pirates have called the families of some victims on their cell phones and threatened to killing them if ransom was not paid.

'Sujon', resident of Char Lathimara, said pirates called his house and made them hear his father crying on the cell phone.

Barguna trawler workers' union president Abdul Mannan Majhi stated on behalf of Nehar Begum, wife of an abducted fisherman, that she had a phone call where she heard her husband being tortured.

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