A total of 27 members of the notorious Chhoto Jahangir gang, including its leader Jahangir Sheikh, surrendered to the Bangladesh Coast Guard with arms and ammunition on Monday evening in the Charputia canal area of Mongla, Bagerhat. The surrender was confirmed by Commander Mohammad Mesbaul Islam of the Coast Guard’s Western Zone. The group handed over several foreign and locally made firearms along with hundreds of live and blank cartridges.

According to the Coast Guard, the surrender took place under ongoing government operations titled “Operation Restore Peace in Sundarbans” and “Operation Mangrove Shield,” aimed at eliminating piracy and ensuring coastal security. These operations have already led to the recovery of large quantities of weapons, the arrest of 45 forest bandits, and the rescue of 42 abducted fishermen and woodcutters.

Authorities stated that legal proceedings are underway against the surrendered members, who were long involved in robbery, kidnapping, and extortion in the Sundarbans. Under the government’s rehabilitation policy, they will be given opportunities for reintegration, while operations will continue to make the forest completely free of bandit activity.