'Arakan Army' abducts four Bangladeshi fishermen from Naf River

The fishermen were taken at gunpoint while fishing in the river near Shah Porir Dwip, according to the Coast Guard

The Arakan Army, an insurgent group in Myanmar, has allegedly abducted four Bangladeshi fishermen at gunpoint along with their trawler while they were fishing near the mouth of the Naf River in Cox's Bazar's Teknaf.

The incident took place around 11:30am on Tuesday, according to Lt HM Sartaj Bin Sohrab, commander of the Coast Guard’s Shah Porir Dwip Station.

The abducted fishermen have been identified as Mohammad Hasan, 30, Abdu Rokim, 20, Mohammad Jaber, 26, and Mohammad Hasan, 16, all residents of Sabrang Union's Dakkhin Para.

“In the morning, Hasan and his crew went out on their trawler as usual to fish in the river. At one point, several armed men approached from the Myanmar side of the border in a speedboat, surrounded the trawler, and forcibly took the fishermen and their boat into Myanmar territory,” Sohrab said.

Local residents immediately reported the incident to the Coast Guard, which then informed senior officials, the Border Guard Bangladesh, or BGB, and other relevant authorities, he added.

The Coast Guard has since increased surveillance on the Naf River and is working to secure the fishermen’s release.

Teknaf Upazila executive officer, or UNO, Sheikh Ehsan Uddin confirmed the abduction, saying, “We received reports from local representatives and residents that four Bangladeshi fishermen were taken while fishing in the Naf River this morning. The BGB and other authorities are actively working on the rescue efforts.”

He added that due to the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, large areas across the border are currently under the control of the Arakan Army. "It is suspected that members of the Arakan Army carried out the abduction."

Lt Col Ashiqur Rahman, commander of BGB Teknaf-2 Battalion, and other officials could not be reached for comment.