The Bangladesh Coast Guard has freed five fishermen from a pirate gang. The gang held them in the Sundarbans and wanted ransom money for them. The rescue was early on Tuesday, 3 November 2026.
The Sundarbans is a large mangrove forest on the coast of Bangladesh and India. It has many rivers and canals. Thousands of fishermen work there, and armed gangs sometimes attack them.
What happened
The Coast Guard got information that the Sattar gang held several fishermen. They were near Gandhar Khal, a canal by the Arshipasha river. This is in Koyra, in Khulna district. The Coast Guard gave the details in a press release, The Business Standard and The Daily Observer report.
Coast Guard teams from the Koyra and Dobeki stations went there at about 4 am. The pirates saw them coming. They left the fishermen and ran deep into the forest. No one was arrested.
The Coast Guard then searched the area. It found four home-made guns and cartridges in a small boat. It also found the five fishermen alive. They are men aged 23 to 42, and all come from Koyra. The Coast Guard said it would hand them over to their families.
Later the same day there was a second operation near Kumrokhali Khal in Dacope, also in Khulna. The Coast Guard heard that a group of armed men was planning a robbery there. These men also ran into the forest. The Coast Guard found more guns and ammunition that they had hidden.
Why this matters now
The dry-fish season in the Sundarbans began on 30 October and lasts five months. Many fishermen now stay for weeks on the islands and in the canals. Dublar Char, Alorkol and Katka are the main places. The Coast Guard says it will have special security there during the season, The Energy Tribune reports.
The Coast Guard and other forces run two operations against the gangs, called "Restore Peace in Sundarbans" and "Mangrove Shield". The Coast Guard said 39 bandits had been arrested since 12 February, and 41 hostages freed. 51 members of six pirate groups have surrendered to the Coast Guard in 2026.
Attacks still happen. On 12 October the Coast Guard freed four fishermen taken by another gang on the Shibsa river. One forest worker told reporters that men in his group each paid Tk 30,000 to 40,000 (Bangladeshi taka) in ransom last season.
Pirates also attack fishing boats far from land. Read how the Indian Navy freed the hijacked fishing boat Azini off Somalia. In late October, a coal cargo vessel sank after a collision in the Sundarbans.
What to do if you fish or work in the Sundarbans
These steps come from the Coast Guard and the Khulna forest office, as reported by local media.
If a gang threatens you or takes someone, call the Coast Guard emergency number 16111 as soon as you can. You can also call 999, the national emergency number.
Do not go into deep water or remote parts of the forest alone. The forest office advises travelling together in groups of 15 to 20 boats, most of all at night.
Tell your family where you will fish and when you plan to come back. Agree a time to call them.
Keep a charged mobile phone in a waterproof bag. Save the Coast Guard number in it before you leave.
Keep lifejackets on board for everyone, and wear one when you move between boats or the weather is bad.
If someone is taken, tell the Coast Guard or police quickly. The forces say they can trace ransom payments and use drones to find hostages.
For seafarer helplines and union contacts, see Crewboard's useful links for seafarers.
Cover photo: Fishing boats moored in a canal in the Sundarbans, March 2024. Illustrative photo, not the place or boats in this story. Photo: Hrihu Raiyan Khan/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sources: The Business Standard: Coast Guard rescues five fishermen held hostage by Sattar gang in Sundarbans (3 Nov 2026), The Daily Observer: Coast Guard rescues five fishermen, seizes arms and ammunition (3 Nov 2026), The Energy Tribune: BD steps up coastal security to protect fishermen from pirates (2 Nov 2026).
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