Robbers from the Sundarbans swooped on ten fishing trawlers at Sonar Char point in the Bay at midnight on Friday and abducted at least 50 fishermen.
A fisherman named Abdul Haque, 60, who sustained bullet injuries during the attack, was brought to Mohipur fish landing station under Kalapara upazila yesterday morning.
He was first admitted to Kalapara Upazila Heath Complex then shifted to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital.
Md Ansar Mollah, president of Alipur Fish Traders Association, quoted the injured fisherman as saying that a gang of over 50 robbers equipped with firearms, sharp weapons and sticks attacked the fishermen while they were fishing hilsa in the Bay.
They attacked ten trawlers one after another, looted fish, fishing nets, fuel and money and abducted at least 50 fishermen, he added.
Abdul Haque, who hails from Cox’s Bazar, told local newsmen at Mohipur that he was in FB Ma-Moni fishing trawler during the attack. The robbers opened fire when we tried to resist them, he added.
Contacted, KM Tariqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Kalapara Police Station, said no complaint regarding the attack on the fishing trawlers and abduction of fishermen from the Bay was filed with the police station as of 6:00pm yesterday.
On September 29, robbers abducted 41 fishermen from Bedarkhal in the Bay in Patharghata upazila of Barguna.
The fishermen, who managed to escape and return to Patharghata, said 40 to 50 robbers in two trawlers attacked the fishermen while they were fishing at around 7:00pm. The gang picked up 41 fishermen at gunpoint, they added.