Bagerhat, Oct 26 (V7N) — The Bangladesh Coast Guard (West Zone) has arrested the notorious leader of the Ranga Bahini, an armed bandit group active in the Sundarbans, along with firearms and ammunition. The arrest took place early Sunday morning in the Kalabagi area near the Shibsa River.

Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haque, media officer of the Bangladesh Coast Guard, confirmed the operation in a press briefing. He said that the arrest was part of an ongoing campaign to eliminate criminal groups from the Sundarbans region.

Later, during a detailed briefing at the Mongla Coast Guard Base, BCGS Swadhin Bangla’s navigating officer Lieutenant Md Khalid Saifullah stated that the operation was launched following secret intelligence about the presence of Ranga Bahini members in the Kalabagi area. As Coast Guard teams approached, the gang members attempted to flee, prompting a chase. The ringleader, identified as Nazrul Sheikh, aged 48, was captured after a brief pursuit.

Authorities recovered two single-barrel guns and six rounds of live ammunition from his possession. Nazrul Sheikh is a resident of Rampal upazila in Bagerhat district. He had long been involved in robbery, abduction, and extortion within the Sundarbans forest region, according to Coast Guard officials.

Lieutenant Saifullah added that on July 31, the Ranga Bahini gang had sent extortion letters to Junglebari and Bonbibi resorts within the Sundarbans, demanding large sums of money. In response, Coast Guard teams intensified operations to dismantle the group.

Earlier, on September 12, Coast Guard personnel arrested two members of the Ranga Bahini during a separate raid, seizing weapons and ammunition and rescuing four fishermen who had been held hostage by the gang.

The detained ringleader, along with the recovered firearms, has been handed over to local authorities for legal action as part of the Coast Guard’s ongoing efforts to ensure security and restore law and order in the Sundarbans region.

END/MPS/SMA/