United News of Bangladesh

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday urged the Bangladesh Coast Guard to take more effective measures to maintain law and order and strengthen security in coastal areas, as well as combat drug smuggling and human trafficking. He made the remarks when Director General of the Bangladesh Coast Guard Rear Admiral Md Moinul Hassan paid a courtesy call on him at Bangabhaban. President's Press Secretary Md Sarwar Alam briefed reporters after the meeting. The President also called upon the Coast Guard to strengthen efforts to conserve fisheries and natural resources, protect the environment and prevent water pollution. He said the government is committed to developing the Coast Guard into a modern and efficient force capable of protecting the country's vast coastal areas and maritime boundary. “To this end, the government is working to modernise the force and ensure appropriate training for its members,” Mirza Fakhrul said. He also urged the Coast Guard to remain vigilant against illegal fishing in the country's maritime territory. During the meeting, the Coast Guard director general briefed the President on the force's overall activities and progress in procuring new patrol boats and modern rescue helicopters and establishing an aviation wing to enhance its operational capabilities. He sought the President's cooperation in discharging his responsibilities. Mirza Fakhrul assured him of all-out cooperation for the development of the force. The President's secretaries and senior officials concerned were present during the meeting.

The Coast Guard recovered around 4,000 litres of illegal fuel oil during an operation in Daulatkhan upazila of Bhola on Monday night. The seizure was made in the Meghna River near Chokighat area under Daulatkhan upazila, according to officials. Media officer of Bangladesh Coast Guard South Zone Lt Commander Sabbir Alam Suzan confirmed the matter. Coast Guard officials said acting on a tip-off, a team conducted a drive in the Meghna River and searched a trawler, recovering the fuel oil. Sensing the presence of law enforcement, the people on board the vessel managed to flee the scene, leaving no arrests. Later, a mobile court led by Daulatkhan Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Shaon Majumder Suman sold the seized fuel at market price and deposited the proceeds into the government treasury.

Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Tuesday instructed members of the Bangladesh Coast Guard to maintain strict political neutrality and professionalism during election duties, warning of severe consequences for any form of bias. Speaking at a medal distribution ceremony at the Coast Guard Headquarters in Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Jahangir Alam said the force must play its role with honesty and integrity to ensure that the 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum, scheduled for 12 February 2026, are conducted in a free, fair and peaceful manner. He said there was ‘no scope whatsoever’ for Coast Guard personnel to engage with any political party, individual or agenda during the election period. As state employees, the adviser added, their primary responsibility was to uphold the law, ensure public security and serve the public interest. Home Affairs Adviser directs strict action against election code violations The Home Adviser warned that any member found supporting a candidate or implementing a party agenda would face strict departmental and legal action, with no leniency. Even minor displays of bias would not be tolerated, he said. According to Jahangir Alam, the credibility of the election would largely depend on the honesty, efficiency and professionalism of those deployed on duty. He also cautioned against unethical conduct, negligence or yielding to temptation, saying such actions would invite severe punishment. Extra forces, drones, CCTV to guard risky polling centres: Home Adviser Describing corruption as the ‘greatest enemy of the state’, he said it weakened institutions from within and eroded public trust. Pursuing personal gain or political benefit, he added, was not only illegal but also damaging to the foundations of the state. The Home Adviser reminded personnel that the Bangladesh Coast Guard is funded by taxpayers and exists solely to ensure national security and public welfare. On election security arrangements, he said around 3,585 Coast Guard members had been deployed alongside nearly 900,000 personnel from various law enforcement agencies. He said some 100 Coast Guard platoons were currently operating across districts in the Barishal, Chattogram and Khulna divisions. Jahangir Alam also highlighted the government’s commitment to modernising the Coast Guard. He said procurement was underway for bulletproof high-speed boats and surveillance drones equipped with ground control stations. Twelve surveillance drones donated by the Australian Border Force had already been inducted, he added. Further development plans include the construction of a multi-role response vessel and two offshore patrol vessels with funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Future initiatives would also involve the induction of helicopters, rescue drones and a coastal surveillance system. The Home Adviser congratulated the medal recipients and expressed hope that Coast Guard personnel, guided by patriotism, would continue to serve the country with honesty and dedication to help build a peaceful, secure and prosperous Bangladesh.  

Members of Coast Guard in a drive seized 100 kgs of deer venison from Gholer Khal in Koyra upazila of Sundarbans in Khulna district. Tipped off, a team of Coast Guard conducted a special drive in the area around 4 pm on Monday and recovered the venison and four metres of deer poaching traps, said Lieutenant Commander Md Muntasir Ibne Mohsin (media) of Coast Guard west zone on Tuesday. Read More: Coast Guard arrests leader of gang abducting tourists in Sundarban  However, the Coast Guard members could not arrest anyone as the poachers managed to flee the scene. The seized items were handed over to Kagadobeki forest camp in Sundarbans.

Twenty-eight people, including women and children, were rescued early Monday from an attempted trafficking journey to Malaysia during a joint operation by the Coast Guard and police in Teknaf’s Baharchhara area. Coast Guard Media Officer Lt Commander Siam-ul-Hoque said on Tuesday that the operation was launched after intelligence reports indicated that a large group, comprising men, women and children, had gathered on the beach near Kacchapia Ghat in Baharchhara, preparing to embark on a perilous sea journey. Acting on the tip-off, a team from the Coast Guard’s Baharchhara Outpost and local police carried out the joint drive around 1am on Monday. The team found 28 people waiting on the beach to be ferried offshore. During initial questioning, officials learned that several organised trafficking groups had targeted both Bangladeshi and Rohingya nationals from Teknaf and other regions, luring them with promises of better opportunities abroad, high-paying jobs and low-cost travel — all part of a larger scheme to smuggle them to Malaysia via dangerous maritime routes. 260 trafficked foreigners rescued from Myanmar scam centers to be repatriated The traffickers managed to escape after sensing the presence of law enforcement personnel, leaving the victims behind. No arrests were made during the operation. Authorities say efforts are underway to identify those involved in the networks, while the rescued individuals have been handed over to the relevant authorities for further procedures. Bangladesh remains among the countries with a high prevalence of modern slavery. According to the 2023 Global Slavery Index, an estimated 1.2 million people were living in modern slavery in Bangladesh on any given day in 2021, a figure that includes internal trafficking and other forms of exploitation.

Two fishermen were injured and four others went missing in a clash with the Coast Guard (CG) over the alleged demand of extortion by the battalion from the fishermen in Barguna district on Tuesday night. A tense situation was prevailing in Patharghata coastal areas following the confrontations between the groups.  General Secretary of Barguna Trawler Owners’ Association Masum Akan said thousands of fishers sailed out for the sea to catch fish after the expiry of the 58-day ban imposed by the government. He said two fishing trawlers, including one of him, returned to the ghat from the sea due to inclement weather on Tuesday morning. Upon arrival, the CG members reportedly charged Tk five lakh as extortion from the fishermen, he alleged. Despite showing authorised documents of the trawlers, the Coast Guard detained their trawlers, leading to arguments between the fishermen and the battalion members, he said. Bridge of Frustration: Design woes stall Barguna’s Sonakata Canal Project for four years Though Patharghata fisheries officials instructed the CG to release the trawlers after showing documents, they did not comply with it, Akan claimed. Around 10pm on Tuesday, the CG started damaging the detained trawlers after being refused to pay the extortion, he said, adding that they also beat two fishermen when they protested. The CG members fired 10 rounds of bullets in blanks when the tense broke out between them, the association’s leader said, forcing the fishermen to hurl brickbats for self-defence and vandalising a motorbike and a pickup van.   He said the two fishermen were injured and four others remained missing in this connection. Akan said, “I gave Tk one lakh to the Coast Guard officer before the Eid holiday. After the Eid holiday, they called me to their station again and demanded the list of trawlers. They are also demanding a large sum of money from this. He further stated that several payments have been made before this.” On information, Patharghata Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Mizanur Rahman visited the spot and talked to both parties. Joy rises with Hilsa in Barguna despite surging prices Officer-in-Charge of Patharghata police station Mohammad Mehedi Hasan said they requested both groups to remain calm. The UNO, Coast Guard and fisheries department expressed reluctance to comment over the matter.

Coast Guard (CG) members rescued 33 fishers, including six women, from a den of pirates, who allegedly abducted them for ransom a few days back, from a deep jungle in the Sundarbans. The CG men also recovered 16 fishing boats from the den but no pirate could be detained in this regard. All the victims hail from Koyra upazila of Khulna district. According to a CG statement issued on Thursday, the operatives of the notorious Karim Sharif pirate gang abducted the fishers and took away their boats while they were fishing in the Karkari River of the mangrove forest. 50 pirates surrender with firearms in Ctg The pirates took the victims to their den and demanded Tk 10, 000 as ransom to their families against each victim, reads the statement. Acting tipped-off, the CG members from Mongla Base and Nalian Outpost conducted a raid in the river to rescue the victims from 11am to 7pm on Wednesday. Sensing the presence of the law enforcers, the pirates opened fire in the blank and at one stage they fled the remote forest, said the statement. Later, the fishers were rescued from the den, along with the boats. After giving first-aid at Koyra station of the CG, a process was underway to hand over the victims to their families, it added.

Members of the Coast Guard have arrested six people, including two women, with 11 kilograms of venison near Mongla Ferry Ghat in Bagerhat. The arrestees were identified as Md Sohel Rana, 39, Md Saidul Islam, 47, Md Taijul Islam, 38, Md Rabin, 40, Mukta Begum, 30, and Kolpana Nazu, 30. Among them, the male arrestees are residents of Dhaka’s Keraniganj, while the women hail from Kaliganj upazila of Jhenaidah, said a Coast Guard media release. Acting on a tip-off, a Coast Guard team conducted a special drive in the area on Tuesday noon. During the operation, the Coast Guard members stopped a microbus carrying the six suspects and recovered the venison. A preliminary interrogation revealed that the group intended to transport the venison to Dhaka for sale. Read: Suspected poacher arrested with 15 kg venison in Bhola The seized venison and the detainees were handed over to the Dangmari Forest Office in the Sundarbans. Surjit Chowdhury, an official at the forest office, said that he had filed a case against the arrestees under the Forest and Wildlife Conservation Act. The suspects were later presented before a Bagerhat court for further legal proceedings, Surjit added.

Bangladesh Coast Guard detained two people along with arms and explosives from separate places  in Bhola sadar upazila on Saturday night. The arrestees are Md Faruk Daulat from the Paschim Ilisha area of Bhola Sadar and Md Hossain Siam from Charsamaiya Union. Lt Commander Rifat Ahmed of the Bangladesh Coast Guard South Zone said they conducted drives Charpata and Charsamaiya unions under Bhola Sadar Upazila. They recovered a country-made firearm, two rounds of blank cartridges, 12 bombs and three locally-made weapons, he said. Besides , 16 government cards for people with disability were recovered from their pocession, he added. The detainees were involved in extortion, land grabbing and creating fear among locals, the commander said. Later, both of them were handed over to Bhola Sadar Model Police Station.    

Firefighting efforts started this morning in the Sundarbans East Zone’s Amurbunia area, following a fire that erupted on Saturday (May 04, 2024). The operation, which began at 9 am on Sunday (May 05, 2024), saw the coordinated efforts of the Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Forest Guard, and Fire Service. The initial response was led by a ten-member team from the Mongla naval base. Following this, members of the Fire Service attempted to set up water extraction from the nearby Bhola River. However, the operation faced a setback due to low tide conditions, delaying the water supply. Probe committee formed over Sundarbans fire Kazi Muhammad Nurul Karim, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Sundarbans East Zone, stated that logistical challenges prevented the operation from starting sooner. "The Navy, Coast Guard, and Air Force joined the Fire Service this morning to accelerate efforts. Local volunteers are also lending significant support," he reported. Mamun Ahmed, Deputy Director of Bagerhat Fire Service and Civil Defense, detailed the deployment of additional firefighting units. "Five units from various locations were dispatched to the site this morning, with three from Mongla, Morrelganj, and Shoronkhola actively engaging in the firefighting efforts. The remaining two units are on standby," he said. Fire breaks out at Sundarbans