Narinjara News, 14 October 2024

On October 14, the Arakan Army (AA) declared in a statementthat it had successfully rescued sixteen Bangladeshi people who had been leftbehind in the Bay of Bengal. After being rescued by the Arakan People'sRevolutionary Government's Coast Guard, they were turned over to the BorderGuard Bangladesh (BGB).

The statement claims that on September 28,2024, at around nine in the morning, the 16 fishermen from Bangladesh had goneout to fish in the Bay of Bengal. On October 4, at about six o'clock in theevening, a group of armed pirates ambushed their trawler.

According to the statement, the pirate group—which was madeup of roughly sixty Bengalis—carried out the attack using three motorboats. Thefishermen were taken prisoner by the pirates, who imprisoned them in their owntrawler and took everything from gasoline to food, rice, oil, salt, money,phones, and fishing nets.

The pirates also beat the Bangladeshifishermen with sticks and gunbutts. They were confined in the trawler's bellyfor two days after the attack, without access to food or water.

The fishermen said that the armed pirates surrounded their trawler with threemotorboats and threatened to shoot and murder them, according to a statementfrom the Arakan Army.

At roughly 4:00 am on October 7, 2024, in Maungdaw Town,Arakan Region, the pirates attempted to land the trawler close to the shore ofKyauk Pan Du. But according to the statement, at around 6:30 in the morning,the Arakan Coast Guard found the trawler and managed to save all 16 fishermen,including their leader, Bangladeshi fisherman Hama Ulas.

The fishermen who had been hurt during the pirate raidreceived medical attention from the Arakan Army (AA) during the rescue.

Following the rescue, the Border GuardBangladesh (BGB) and other pertinent authorities were notified by the ArakanArmy (AA). At Bangladesh's Shaporir Jetty, the fishermen were safely turnedover to the BGB and police on October 14, 2024, at 6:15 pm.

The fishermen were identified as one each fromPanchhori and Pichari villages in Sabrang, Teknaf, and fourteen members ofIslampur village in Cox's Bazar City, Cox's Bazar District.