Myanmar’s Border Guard Police abducts two Bangladesh fishermen

Myanmar’s Border Guard Police (BGP) has reportedly abducted two Bangladeshis from Teknaf border areas in Cox’s Bazar.

The fishermen were picked up from along the Naf river at Lombabil point in Whykhyang union around 1:30pm on Wednesday, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) said quoting their relatives.

The missing fishermen have been identified as Md Nazir Hossain Bhulu, 42, and Abdus Shukkur, 39, from Lombabil village.

BGB Battalion 2 Commander Lt Col Abu Jar Al Jahid said the families have informed the border guards about the ‘abduction’, but have not filed any written complaint yet.

"We are trying to communicate with the BGP," he added.

The incident happened when BGB has strengthened border security to stop thousands of Rohingyas, who are fleeing persecution in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, to enter into Bangladesh.

Shukkur's brother Abdur Rahim told bdnews24.com the two had gone out fishing in the river near the Bangladesh-Myanmar water frontier early in the morning like they do every day.

"In the afternoon, a BGP patrol boat came and took them along with the boat at gunpoint," he said.

Rahim said he came to know about the matter from the other fishermen who had witnessed the incident.

He said the family were preparing to file a written complaint with the BGB.