Coast Guard Raid Cripples Sundarbans Pirate Gang

A Bangladesh Coast Guard operation in the Sundarbans has resulted in the death of one alleged pirate, the arrest of the leader of the notorious Dulabhai Bahini along with another suspected gang member, and the recovery of firearms and ammunition following a gunfight deep inside the world’s largest mangrove forest.

The development was confirmed on Saturday by Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujan, Media Officer of the Bangladesh Coast Guard.

According to the Coast Guard, the operation was carried out under Operation Mangrove Shield, a special campaign launched to eliminate criminal gangs operating in the Sundarbans and to strengthen the safety of forest-dependent communities, including fishermen, honey collectors and residents of the country’s coastal belt.

The authorities said intelligence reports indicated that members of the Dulabhai Bahini, an alleged pirate group active in the Sundarbans, were hiding in a remote forest area near Bonpara under Koyra Upazila in Khulna district. Acting on the information, personnel from Coast Guard Base Mongla, Koyra Station and Nalian Station launched a coordinated operation that continued for two consecutive days from Thursday afternoon.

During the operation, Coast Guard members identified two boats believed to be carrying the suspected pirates and ordered them to stop. According to the official statement, the occupants ignored the signal and allegedly opened fire on the security personnel without warning.

The Coast Guard said its members returned fire in self-defence, triggering an intense exchange of gunfire. During the confrontation, one of the suspected pirates’ boats caught fire while the other sank. Officials stated that Coast Guard personnel fired one blank cartridge and 216 rounds of live ammunition during the operation.

After the gunfight ended, security forces searched the area and found two injured suspects. They were identified as Rabiul Islam, the alleged leader of the Dulabhai Bahini, and Shawkat Sardar, another alleged gang member. Both were taken to Koyra Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared Shawkat Sardar dead.

Following initial treatment, Rabiul Islam was transferred to Khulna Medical College Hospital for advanced medical care.

The operation did not end there. The Coast Guard said several suspected gang members managed to flee during the exchange of fire, prompting a joint manhunt involving the Bangladesh Coast Guard and Bangladesh Police.

As part of the follow-up operation, another suspect, Israfil Hawlader, was arrested with a gunshot wound to one of his fingers in an area in front of the Mathbaria Police Outpost. Officials said local residents assisted law enforcement personnel in locating and apprehending him. He was later admitted to Koyra Upazila Health Complex for treatment.

Security personnel also recovered a cache of weapons and other items during a search of the Besukhali area of the Arshibasa River. The seized items included six single-barrel firearms, 69 rounds of live ammunition, three blank cartridges, one locally made weapon, one mobile phone and one wristwatch.

The Coast Guard identified the arrested and deceased suspects as follows: Rabiul Islam (50) and Shawkat Sardar (55), both residents of Koyra in Khulna district, and Israfil Hawlader (26), a resident of Ashashuni in Satkhira district.

Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujan said the arrested suspects, along with the recovered weapons and ammunition, had been handed over to Koyra Police Station for further legal proceedings. The body of the deceased suspect was also transferred to the police for a post-mortem examination.

The Coast Guard reiterated its commitment to maintaining security in the Sundarbans, saying operations against alleged pirate groups and those who assist them will continue. Criminal activity in the mangrove forest has long posed a threat to fishermen, wood collectors and other forest-dependent communities, and security forces have conducted repeated operations in recent years to dismantle armed groups operating in the region.