Seven fishermen were abducted allegedly by a group of pirates from different areas of the Sundarbans on Sunday.
The abductors are now charging Tk 50, 000 as ransom for each fisherman.
The incident occurred on Sunday morning in the Malancha River of the Satkhira range, including Hanskhali, Chelakata, and Hetalbuni canals, according to fishermen who managed to escape.
Those abducted are Abdul Aziz, 50, Ibrahim Hossain, 45, Anarul Islam, 22, Najmul Haque, 34, Shamim Hossain, 36, Anwar Hossain, 32, from Dakshin Kadamtala village of Shyamnagar upazila in Satkhira, and Mujibul Hossain, 35, from Harinagar Jelepara.
Returning fishermen Fozer Ali and Sabuz Mia said they had gone to the Sundarbans from Kadamtala station to catch crabs.
While fishing in the river, ten armed kidnappers suddenly surrounded them and took away seven fishermen, instructing the families to send Tk 50,000 per person via mobile.
When contacted, Sundarbans Range Officer Md. Fazlul Haque said the Forest Department’s smart patrol team is on site and efforts are on to communicate with the victims.
Coast Guard sources at Kaikhali BCG Station said that they are coordinating with the families and will take further action once details are verified.