Fishermen are freed only after paying ransom when kidnapped; showing a token earns permission to fish; and to avoid trouble, fishermen are not going out at night.

For the past week, the hilsa fishermen had hoped for has been showing up in their nets in Monpura, Bhola, bringing smiles to their faces. But the smiles did not last: fear of pirates has spread among them.

Many fishermen are not going out to fish at night in the rivers and the estuary for fear of pirates, leaving fishermen and fish wholesalers worried about their business. But fishermen who pay extortion money for a special token are spared by the pirates and can fish at sea.

Fishermen say that to fish in the rivers and estuary they must buy a token from the pirates. Those who go without one face night-time attacks, looting and kidnapping, and are freed only for a large sum.

Visits to various fishing ghats in Monpura upazila and conversations with fishermen found that more than 10 trawlers have been robbed since 26 July. The pirates kidnapped five fishermen, who returned after paying the ransom demanded, but their fish and nets could not be recovered.

There are about 50,000 fishermen in the five unions of Monpura upazila, who make their living fishing in the rivers, the sea and the estuary. But fear of pirates has now spread among them.

Md Giyas Uddin Majhi, a fisherman at Majher Ghat in ward 9 of Dakshin Sakuchia union, who returned after paying ransom, said that late on the night of 27 July he and nine other fishermen went fishing in the Meghna between Monpura and Hatiya upazilas. A gang of 15–20 pirates attacked them, surrounding them with pistols and locally made sharp weapons. They beat them, looted their fish and nets, and took him hostage at gunpoint.

He said he could not tell where the pirates took him. In the morning they demanded a ransom, using his mobile phone to demand Tk 1 lakh from his wholesaler. After bargaining and pleading with the pirates, his release was agreed for Tk 30,000. When the wholesaler sent the money to the pirates' bKash and Nagad accounts, they freed him the following night.

When he was released, they handed him a token bearing his name, the initials of the pirates' names and a signature. The pirates said that if anyone caught him again, showing the token would get him released, and that with it he could fish this year, but would need a token again next year.

Md Rajib Majhi, another fisherman from the same area who was kidnapped and released, said the pirates took him hostage at gunpoint the same night. They beat him and demanded ransom from his family, and he was freed on payment of Tk 25,000. The night after the ransom was paid, the pirates left him and his trawler in the middle of the river. He too was given a token with his name, the pirates' initials and a signature, on the same terms: it would get him released if caught again and let him fish this year, but a new token would be needed next year.

Md Hasan Majhi and Nazrul Majhi, fishermen at Majher Ghat, said the pirate gang had kidnapped three fishermen from their ghat in a few days, and trawlers had been robbed and looted. The fishermen came back after paying large ransoms, so they are very afraid and are not going out on the river at night.

Md Hafiz Majhi and Md Harun Majhi, fishermen from ward 9 of Dakshin Sakuchia union, said: "This year, as soon as the peak season began, the pirates started selling tokens. Trawlers that do not get a token are robbed, attacked, looted and their crews kidnapped. So we were forced to get tokens from the pirates for Tk 5,000–10,000."

They would not say how they obtained the tokens, saying only that the pirates have informants at every fishing ghat.

Fishermen Md Sabuj Majhi and Billal Majhi said more than half the fishermen in Monpura upazila have borrowed money from wholesalers to buy tokens.

Md Aktar Sikder and Md Hossain, wholesalers at Majher Ghat, said they had brought large advances (dadon) from wholesalers in Dhaka and Chandpur and lent them to fishermen. But the fishermen are now afraid of pirates and cannot fish properly, and if this continues the wholesalers will face losses.

They said several pirate gangs operate in the rivers and estuary. If the coast guard, river police and police step up patrols, fishermen will be able to fish and their business will run smoothly, and they called for the administration to intervene.

Md Ahsan Kabir, officer in charge (OC) of Monpura police station, said no one has yet filed a written complaint about the robberies, and that action will be taken as soon as a complaint is received.

Lt Commander Rifat Ahmed, staff officer (operations) of the Coast Guard's southern zone, said: "We have learned that robberies are happening because fishermen are catching the hoped-for amount of fish. The coast guard has taken various steps to ensure fishermen's safety. Regular patrols and searches on the river have been increased, and intelligence surveillance has been stepped up to catch the pirates."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.