Pirates beat up fishermen, loot 14 trawlers in Bay

15 out of 17 thrown into sea missing

7 December 2009, 17:00 PM

A Correspondent, Cox's Bazar

Pirates beat up 60 fishermen and looted 14 trawlers in the Bay in the last four days. They also threw 17 fishermen into the sea on Sunday night and 15 of them remained missing as of filing this report at 7:00pm yesterday. Owners and fishermen said armed pirates swooped on trawler FB N Haq owned by Salamat Ullah at Sonadia channel on Sunday night and looted hilsa fish worth about Tk 3 lakh and engine and nets worth about Tk 20 lakh. They sank the trawler into the sea. During the attack, the gang threw 17 fishermen of the trawler into the Bay. Two of them--Sayed Ullah, 45, and Taher, 37, --were rescued by a trawler from Banskhali yesterday morning. Sources said two trawlers owned by Syed Karim and Dil Mohammad of Shah Parir Dwip, one owned by Abdul Khaleque of Kutubjom in Moheshkhali and one belonging to Niaz Mohammed of Choufaldandi came under attacks by pirates on the sea on Saturday night. The pirates looted fish, nets and engines worth about Tk 50 lakh from the trawlers and beat up at least 35 fishermen. Officer-in-charge (OC) of Teknaf Police Station Khaled Hossain confirmed the incidents. President of Cox's Bazar Fishing Boat Owners' Association Mujibur Rahman said it has become almost impossible for the fishermen to fish in the sea due to attacks by armed pirates.