COX'S Bazar, Nov 13: Six Bangladeshis have been abducted along with two trawlers from Naf river while going to St Martin's Island from Teknaf. The trawlers were carrying construction materials--rod and cement.
Abdur Rashad, President of the Teknaf-St Martin's Trawler Owners' Association, said the incident happened around 8:00am on Tuesday. Members of Arakan Army attacked the trawlers and abducted the six.
"Two service boats, SB Rasel, which I own, and SB Faruk owned by Abdur Rob, were en route to Saint Martin's with cement and iron rods when they were seized at gunpoint by Arakan Army members. Six crew members were onboard."
He then claimed to have informed the Border Guard, Bangladesh (BGB), Coast Guard, and the local administration about the incident.
A Coast Guard official from the Teknaf station, speaking anonymously, echoed suspicions of smuggling, noting, "It is prohibited to carry construction materials to the island. We suspect these materials were being smuggled to Myanmar. The claims of abduction may be a cover-up, as the boat owners are now unreachable and might be attempting to avoid responsibility."
