[Bangla Daily Star] At least 15 pirates were injured in a gunfight between the pirates and coastguards at Kochikhali of the Sundarbans yesterday morning.Coastguards also rescued four fishermen -- Zafor Hossian, Sanjoy Talukder, Oli Ahmed and Dulal Howlader. They were abducted by two gangs of pirates, one led by Zulfikar and the other by Sawkat, in the bay on August 11.
Lieutenant Mushfique Ahmed, commander of the West Zone Coastguard, said, at least 15 of the 35-member gang were bullet-hit in the gunfight.
He said, coastguards moving around the areas on trawlers in the guise of fishermen challenged the band of pirates.
The pirates opened fire and started fleeing towards the jungle, about half-a-kilometre away from Kochikhali, he added.
Meanwhile, seven fishermen, abducted by pirates on August 18, were released yesterday morning after paying ransom of Tk 2 lakh.
They are Akbor Munshi, Solaiman, Zoynal Majhi, Abdul Malek, Monsur Ali, Yunus Mir and Yusuf Ali of Charduani under Patharghata in Barguna.
On August 11, a total of 20 fishermen were abducted and 13 were injured as pirates swooped on them and looted hilsa fish, fishing nets, fuel and cash from their trawlers in the deep sea, some 50 kilometres southeast of Patharghata.
Pirates looted 22 fishing trawlers and abducted 40 fishermen along the Barguna coast of the Bay of Bengal in the dead of night on August 18.
Golam Mostafa Chowdhury, president of the Patharghata Fish Warehouse Association, said fishermen are afraid of going to the sea as they face frequent incidents of kidnapping by pirates in the areas.