Arakan army abducts 30 fishermen with five trawlers

At least 30 Bangladeshi fishermen were abducted along with five trawlers by the Arakan Army (AA) from the Bay of Bengal near St Martin’s Island in Teknaf on Wednesday afternoon.

The incident occurred around 5:00pm in the south-eastern waters off St Martin’s, according to local sources.

Of the five seized trawlers, three are owned by residents of Teknaf municipality, while the remaining two belong to fishermen from Shahpari Island.

The Teknaf Boat Owners’ Association said Bangladeshi trawlers were fishing in the area when armed members of the Myanmar-based rebel group approached on two speedboats. The fishermen were held at gunpoint before being taken away along with their vessels.

Following the abduction, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Coast Guard, and local administration were informed.

Coast Guard officials said they had received reports of the incident from multiple sources and were working to collect further details.

This is not the first such incident. Between 5 and 31 August, the Arakan Army abducted 81 fishermen along with 13 trawlers. Their families still have no information on their whereabouts.

From December last year until 10 September, the Arakan Army has abducted 325 Bangladeshi fishermen from different points along the Naf River and the Bay of Bengal. Of them, 189 fishermen and 27 vessels have been returned following several rounds of negotiations facilitated by the BGB.