Mongla, May 22 (V7N) — Seven members of the notorious Sundarbans pirate group “Choto Suman Bahini,” including its leader Suman Hawlader, have surrendered to the Bangladesh Coast Guard along with firearms and ammunition during a formal ceremony held at the Coast Guard West Zone headquarters.
The surrender took place on Thursday at 11 a.m. when the pirates handed over five firearms and 25 rounds of live ammunition to Zone Commander Captain Mohammad Mejba Ul Islam at the headquarters premises. Officials from the Coast Guard, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), police, forest department, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and various intelligence agencies were present during the event.
According to Coast Guard officials, the group had earlier made an informal surrender on May 17 in the Nandabala canal area of the Sundarbans near Mongla, where they handed over three country-made single-barrel guns, two pipe guns, 25 rounds of live ammunition, and three rounds of blank cartridges.
Captain Mohammad Mejba Ul Islam, Zonal Commander of Coast Guard West Zone, said that two major operations—“Operation Restore Peace in Sundarbans” and “Operation Mangrove Shield”—have been ongoing to eliminate pirate groups from the forest region. He added that sustained pressure from these operations has pushed several gangs into isolation, forcing them to surrender.
He confirmed that the Choto Suman gang had previously surrendered to RAB in 2018 but later returned to criminal activities.
Pirate leader Suman Hawlader, aged 32, said he had earlier surrendered in 2018 after one year of involvement in piracy and later engaged in business activities. However, he claimed that after recent political unrest and legal pressures, he was forced to return to piracy before deciding to surrender again.
“We wanted to stay away from crime, but circumstances pushed us back. We now seek a peaceful life and request the authorities to simplify our legal cases and ensure we are not harassed in the future,” he said.
Other surrendered members said they had been living under constant fear of law enforcement operations and lacked basic living conditions, which led them to surrender.
The surrendered individuals have been identified as Suman Hawlader (32), Rabiul Mollik (25), Rafiq Sheikh (29), Siddiq Hawlader (40), Golam Mollik (38), Ismail Khan (31) from Mongla, and Mahfuz Mollik (34) from Rampal.
Officials said the government’s “zero tolerance” policy against piracy in the Sundarbans continues, and all remaining pirate groups are being urged to surrender and join rehabilitation programs, while stricter action will be taken against those who refuse.
The Coast Guard also reported that since February 12, ongoing operations have led to the recovery of 26 local and foreign firearms, ammunition including 178 live cartridges, 25 blank rounds, 187 airgun pellets, and two walkie-talkies, along with the arrest of 21 pirates. Additionally, 20 hostages have been rescued alive and safely reunited with their families after receiving medical treatment.
Authorities warned that misinformation campaigns are being circulated by vested interests to discredit ongoing anti-piracy operations, but affirmed that such propaganda will not hinder their efforts to ensure security in the Sundarbans region.
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