Coast Guard rescues 33 fishermen, Including 6 women, from Notorious Karim Sharif gang in Sundarbans
Khulna Bureau
The Bangladesh Coast Guard has successfully rescued 33 fishermen, including six women, who were held hostage by the notorious Karim Sharif gang in the Sundarbans, along with their 16 boats.
Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haque, Media Officer of the Coast Guard, shared details of the operation on Thursday morning..
The Bangladesh Coast Guard has successfully rescued 33 fishermen, including six women, who were held hostage by the notorious Karim Sharif gang in the Sundarbans, along with their 16 boats.
Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haque, Media Officer of the Coast Guard, shared details of the operation on Thursday morning..
Acting on confidential information, the Coast Guard learned that the Karim Sharif gang had detained 33 fishermen and their boats at a hideout in the Sundarbans. Based on this intelligence, a special operation was conducted by the Coast Guard Base Mongla and Nalian Outpost from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in the Mallakhali area of the Korkori River in the Sundarbans.
During the operation, the robbers, sensing the Coast Guard’s presence, fired blank shots and fled into the dense forest. The Coast Guard team subsequently rescued the 33 fishermen, including six women, along with their 16 boats from the area.
Preliminary inquiries revealed that the victims had ventured into the Sundarbans from Koyra on the morning of April 9, 2025, to catch fish and crabs. They were then taken hostage by the Karim Sharif gang, who demanded a ransom of Tk10,000 per person for their release.
The rescued fishermen were brought to the Coast Guard Station in Koyra, where they received primary medical care and food. All the victims are residents of Koyra Thana in Khulna district. The process of handing them over to their families, along with their boats, is currently underway.
The Bangladesh Coast Guard maintains round-the-clock patrols to ensure the safety of fishermen, suppress piracy and banditry, and foster a secure Sundarbans. These efforts have significantly improved law and order in the areas under its jurisdiction, and such operations will continue in the future to maintain this progress.
During the operation, the robbers, sensing the Coast Guard’s presence, fired blank shots and fled into the dense forest. The Coast Guard team subsequently rescued the 33 fishermen, including six women, along with their 16 boats from the area.
Preliminary inquiries revealed that the victims had ventured into the Sundarbans from Koyra on the morning of April 9, 2025, to catch fish and crabs. They were then taken hostage by the Karim Sharif gang, who demanded a ransom of Tk10,000 per person for their release.
The rescued fishermen were brought to the Coast Guard Station in Koyra, where they received primary medical care and food. All the victims are residents of Koyra Thana in Khulna district. The process of handing them over to their families, along with their boats, is currently underway.
The Bangladesh Coast Guard maintains round-the-clock patrols to ensure the safety of fishermen, suppress piracy and banditry, and foster a secure Sundarbans. These efforts have significantly improved law and order in the areas under its jurisdiction, and such operations will continue in the future to maintain this progress.
