Gunmen Hold Commuters Terrified in Daylight River Piracy Attack

The security situation along the remote waterways of Gaibandha came under sharp scrutiny following a brazen mid-river robbery on the Brahmaputra. Armed with firearms and sharp blades, a gang of pirates intercepted a commuter ferry in broad daylight on Thursday, 9 July, systematically robbing passengers and making off with nearly 800,000 taka in non-governmental organisation (NGO) funds. The incident occurred in the Fulchhari sub-district, an area characterized by shifting sandbars and isolated river island channels that historically present severe logistical hurdles for local law enforcement patrols.

The traditional wooden ferry, or kheya boat, departed from the Kabilpur river-island market under the stewardship of boatman Sayedur Rahman around 3:00 pm. Onboard were 10 to 12 passengers, including field workers from BRAC, the prominent international development organisation that operates extensive microfinance initiatives across rural Bangladesh. Roughly 30 minutes into the journey toward the mainland Katatara ghat, a smaller vessel carrying six to seven masked individuals rapidly closed in on the slow-moving ferry.

Eyewitnesses recalled the immediate panic that ensued when two to three attackers jumped aboard the passenger boat. Brandishing pistols and heavy, curved local cleavers known as ramda, the criminals took immediate control of the vessel. To eliminate any possibility of escape or distress calls, the raiders severed the boat’s fuel lines and ripped the engine steering handle from its housing, throwing it into the river. Their accomplices remained on the chasing boat, keeping firearms trained on the huddling passengers to suppress any resistance.

The primary objective of the raid appeared to be the substantial cash holdings carried by the BRAC staff. Assistant Branch Manager Niranjan Chandra Roy and Community Development Officer Rakib Hasan had spent the morning collecting monthly loan instalments across the island outposts. To ensure financial security, the duo departed early with a cumulative sum of 779,080 taka to deposit it in a commercial mainland bank, leaving four colleagues behind to finish the day’s administrative work. The pirates held the microfinance officers at gunpoint, swiftly relieving them of the collected funds and their personal items.

The criminals then turned their attention to the remaining commuters, stripping them of their valuables. Aiyub Ali, a local pesticide trader who was on the ferry, described the overwhelming terror of having multiple pistols pointed at him. The gang plundered cash and belongings indiscriminately, taking 300 to 400 taka from the boatman’s fare collection and 10,000 taka from a female passenger. Three women had their handbags stolen, which contained jewellery, smartphones, and the official Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exam admission papers of a student scheduled to sit her final papers the following morning.

Legal steps are currently underway to track down the gang, whose identities remained concealed by caps and fabric masks. Mosharraf Hossain, BRAC’s District Co-ordinator for micro-loans, confirmed that the organisation’s senior leadership spent Thursday evening coordinating with authorities at the Fulchhari Police Station to initiate a criminal case.

Local Union Parishad member Abdus Salam Khan stated that while the affected passengers originated from his ward in Fazlupur, the actual piracy took place within the territorial waters of the neighbouring Uriya union. Confirming the incident, Durul Huda, the Officer-in-Charge of Fulchhari Police Station, noted that the traumatised victims had successfully reached the mainland to provide formal testimonies. Gaibandha’s Additional Superintendent of Police, Sheikh Muttazul Islam, emphasized that river police teams are gathering intelligence to trace the maritime route used by the thieves, vowing that the perpetrators will face the full force of the law.