November 3, 2003	Monday	Ramazan 7, 1424

DHAKA, Nov 2: Pirates looted more than a hundred trawlers on the Meghna River estuary of Monpura, Tajumuddin, Daulatkhan of Bhola and Dhalchar areas of Noakhali on Saturday night, reports said on Sunday.

They hijacked 17 trawlers, abducted 42 fishermen, injured another 50 and fought with the police for more than four hours. Police recovered 10 trawlers abandoned by the pirates and continued operations till the writing of this report.

According to the victims, police and eyewitnesses, two notorious gangs of pirates led by Speaker and Jahangir Bahini, in six trawlers, attacked the trawler of Halim, named FB Jalchhabi, who was busy gathering his cows from the grazing fields of Bashavanga chars, in Monpura region of Meghna estuary at 5:00 pm on Saturday.

The pirates looted the trawler and hijacked it, abducting two crewmen Khokan and Siddique, and demanded Tk 200,000 in ransom. Then they attacked and looted four other trawlers of Bachchu Majhi in Tajumuddin area of Meghna.

This time the fishermen caught two pirates, and the other pirates in about 20 trawlers rushed to rescue their comrades, and then started mass piracy that continued till midnight. The pirates looted more than 100 trawlers and hijacked 17 more. They also abducted 42 fishermen and injured another 50.

The fishermen managed to draw the attention of a police patrol of Monpura police station on the Meghna River, who rushed to the spot and engaged in clashes with the pirates near Dhal Char.

Reinforcement was sent from Tajumuddin and Daulatkhan thanas and the gun battle between the police and pirates continued till 2:00 am on Sunday.