Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) today brought back five Bangladeshi fishermen taken earlier hostage by Myanmar's separatist group Arakan Army while fishing in the Naf River.

“The Arakan Army handed over the five Bangladeshi fishermen to the BGB at about 1:30 pm today,” said a release signed by Lt Col Mohiuddin Ahmed, commanding officer of BGB-2 Teknaf Battalion.

The Bangladeshi fishermen, held captive by the Arakan Army, are identified as Md Alam, 22, Russell Mia, 23, his siblings Saiful Islam, 17, and Borhan Uddin, 19, all from Teknaf's Jaliapara village; and Md Rashed, 24, from Chakaria in Cox's Bazar.

Subsequently, the BGB handed over the rescued fishermen to their respective families.

On October 07, the Arakan Army detained the fishermen from Jaliapara area of Shahparir Dwip in Teknaf at about 3pm when they went to Naf River for fishing with a trawler.

Once they mistakenly crossed the zero line of the Bangladesh-Myanmar border to catch fish and entered a place called Kaing Chong in the waters of Myanmar.

Meanwhile, Myanmar's separatist armed group Arakan Army detained the fishermen along with the trawler for their illegal entry.

It is mentioned here that after the Rohingya influx incident in 2017, fishing in the Naf River is strictly prohibited.

However, Bangladeshi fishermen often go to Naf River to fish, secretly, it claimed.
 
Meanwhile, the BGB has requested everyone to remain careful about this, the BGB release added.

BDST: 2121 HRS, OCT 09, 2024
MSK