4 Bangladeshi fishermen ‘kidnapped’ by Myanmar BGP’

Four Bangladeshi fishermen with a fishing trawler were kidnapped allegedly by Border Guard Police (BGP) of Myanmar from the Naf River in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar today.

The fishermen --Azim Ullah (boatman), Mohammad Abdullah, Abul Kalam and Mohammad Hasan -- are residents of Shahparir Dwip in Teknaf upazila, our Cox’s Bazar correspondent reports quoting the fishing trawler owner Aman Ullah and locals.

Trawler owner Aman Ullah said his cousin Azim and three other fishermen on his trawler went to the Naf river near Jaliapara area adjacent to Shahparir Dwip early morning for fishing hilsa.

While fishing in the river, a team of BGP troops on a speedboat approached the fishing trawler and took away the fishermen at gunpoint, he alleged.  

Around 7:00am, a fisherman called him over mobile phone from Myanmar saying it that “some BGP members” abducted them and wanted Tk 3 lakh for their ransom, Aman Ullah claimed.

The trawler owner said he informed the matter to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

Contacted, Foysal Hasan Khan, director of BGB battalion-2 in Teknaf said: “We learnt the incident of kidnapping. We are trying to contact with BGP high officials.”