Arakan Army abducts 5 Bangladeshi fishermen from Naf River

Five Bangladeshi fishermen were abducted along with their fishing boat by members of Myanmar's rebel group, the Arakan Army, from the Naf River in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday morning.

The incident took place in the Naikshyongdia area of the Bay of Bengal, adjacent to the Bangladesh-Myanmar maritime boundary. According to Abdus Salam, a member of Ward 5 of the Sabrang Union Parishad, the fishermen crossed into Myanmar's waters while fishing and were seized at gunpoint by Arakan Army members in a speedboat.

The abducted fishermen have been identified as, Md. Elias (41), son of Md. Ali Ahmed, Akkal Ali (20), son of Md. Elias, Md. Nur Hossain (18), Saber Hossain (22), son of Kalu Mia and Md. Saiful Islam (25), son of Md. Nur Hossain.

All are residents of Jaliya Para, Shah Porir Dwip, under Sabrang Union in Teknaf upazila.

Other fishermen present in the area returned to shore and reported the incident to local authorities. Mohammad Abdul Gani, president of the Shah Porir Dwip Fishermen’s Association, confirmed that the fishing boat belongs to Mohammad Elias, one of the abductees, and that three members of his family were among those taken.

Families of the victims have informed the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). However, multiple attempts to contact officials from the BGB and the Coast Guard for comment have been unsuccessful.

Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sheikh Ehsan Uddin said the administration is aware of the incident and has notified the concerned authorities. “We are working to gather further information and ensure appropriate steps are taken,” he said.