On October 24, at about 6:30 am, a fishing trawler of Sultan Mazi of Dil Para (village) under Shapuri Dip along with 11 crew members went to the Bay of Bengal for fishing. They had started fishing when reached from 2 kilometers from Southeast of Saint Martin, where an engine boat with Nasaka personnel pretending as fishermen approached to their fishing trawler and surrounded the fishing trawler with gun pointed, said Sultan Mazi from Shapuri Dip

“The Nasaka forced the fishing trawler to move to a place called Molvi Stone with gun point which is in the Bay of Bengal, where Nasaka forced the  Mazi Noor Hussain (leader of the fishing trawler) to contact their  boss – the owner of the trawler- to pay money for release of fishermen and trawler.”

“After conversation between Nasaka and the owner of the trawler over mobile, the Nasaka demanded Kyat 3 million, but the owner of the trawler agreed with Kyat 2 million for the release of fishermen along with fishing trawler.”

However, on that day, in the evening, Shukur and some local villagers went to the place of Nasaka with an engine boat from the jetty Ghat of Shapuri Dip to exchange the fishermen and trawler with money, said a local fisherman.

Later, Shukur managed all the fishermen set free along with trawler after paying money to the Nasaka.

In such way, the Nasaka personnel frequently abducted fishing trawlers from the Bay of Bengal while fishing in Bangladesh territorial waters and were released after taking money from the owners of fishing trawlers. So, the fishermen and the owners of fishing trawlers have been facing difficulties since long, said another owners who denied to be named.

“Regarding this, the local fishermen and trawler owners have appraised the matter to the BGB against the Nasaka, but they did not take any action against the Nasaka yet.”