Teknaf, Bangladesh: A Burmese passenger boat was robbed by Bangladeshi robbers on September 11, at about 7 pm. The boat was heading to Ywet Nhyo Taung (Rwagadaung) village in Maungdaw Township from Maungdaw town, said a local from Nilla.

A group of Bangladeshi robbers totalling 14 led by Kalu from Gudarbill in Teknaf went to the Burma side in two small engine boats and robbed the passengers. They carried guns and lethal weapons.

After reaching the Burma side, the robbers approached the passenger boat from two sides and fired at the steer man stopping the boat. Some of the robbers got on the boat and started looting goods and ornaments of the passengers after beating them up severely. Among them was a Nasaka (Burma's border security force) personnel in plain clothes and a MBBS doctor who were severely beaten up by the robbers for resisting them, one of the passengers said on condition of anonymity.

They looted 14 bags of rice (a bag =50 kg), seven Tolas of gold, a motorcycle, a cycle and clothes worth Taka ten million. They also took away four Tolas of gold from a bridegroom who was going to be married soon. But the robbers did not harm the women passengers.

After looting the goods, the robbers returned to Bangladesh side and carried the goods to Teknaf by truck, said Hashim,an eyewitness from Zadi Mora of Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh authorities are trying to trace the robbers, said an aide of the police in Teknaf.