Twelve fishermen were abducted along with their trawler by the forest bandit group known as Jahangir Bahini in the Sundarbans. The incident occurred late Tuesday night in the Dublarchar area under the Sharankhola Range of Bagerhat district. The abducted fishermen were identified as residents of Patharghata’s Ruhita area, aged between 20 and 58 years.

A local fish trader from Rajapur in Sharankhola, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, said that the armed bandits, numbering around 15 to 16 and wearing distinctive uniforms, attacked the fishermen’s boats and took one trawler with 12 men. He also mentioned that several other fishermen might still be held by the gang.

Forester Md. Mizanur Rahman, in charge of the Kochikhali patrol post under the Sharankhola Range, confirmed that forest guards launched an overnight operation to rescue the abducted fishermen, but no trace of them had been found as of reporting time. Sharankhola Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Md. Shamimul Haque stated that no formal complaint had yet been filed, but legal action would follow upon receiving one.