The families of hundreds of Bangladeshi fishermen, allegedly abducted by the Arakan Army (AA)—an insurgent group operating in Myanmar—have issued a harrowing appeal to the interim government for their safe return. During a seminar titled “Women of the Island: An Ecofeminist Perspective for St Martin’s Island” held at Dhaka University on Thursday, relatives revealed that at least 420 fishermen from Teknaf and St Martin’s Island have been seized from within Bangladeshi waters over the past five months.
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A Humanitarian Crisis at Sea
The event, organised by the Centre for Critical Discourse, provided a platform for the wives and mothers of the disappeared to voice their grief. Humaira Begum and Rabeya Begum, who travelled from the remote St Martin’s Island to the capital, shared heart-wrenching accounts of their husbands’ disappearances last September.
“I do not know if he is dead or alive,” sobbed Humaira Begum, describing the dire poverty her two children now face. “We are surviving on half-meals, and the pressure to repay the loans my husband took for fishing equipment is suffocating.”
Madina Begum, an elderly mother who raised her two sons alone after being widowed young, made a final plea: “My grief never ends. I beg the government to let me see my children’s faces one last time before I die.”
Geopolitical Fragility and Security Failures
The crisis highlights a significant security vacuum in the Bay of Bengal. Residents of St Martin’s noted that while tourism is seasonal, fishing remains their ancestral lifeblood. However, the encroaching conflict in Myanmar’s Rakhine State has turned the sea into a perilous zone.
Meghmollar Basu, President of the Dhaka University branch of the Students’ Union, delivered a scathing critique of the state’s perceived passivity. He drew a sharp comparison to border tensions with India, noting that if 450 citizens were held by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF), there would be nationwide protests and political uproar. He suggested that the government’s reluctance to act against a paramilitary force like the Arakan Army hints at a “subservient” foreign policy.
Data at a Glance: The Missing Fishermen
The following table outlines the reported scale of the crisis based on testimonies from the affected coastal communities:
| Metric | Details |
| Total Estimated Abductees | 420 – 450 Fishermen |
| Primary Catchment Area | Teknaf and St Martin’s Island (Bangladeshi Waters) |
| Alleged Captors | Arakan Army (Myanmar Insurgent Group) |
| Duration of Captivity | Up to 5 Months (since September 2025) |
| Socio-Economic Impact | Extreme poverty, debt cycles, and psychological trauma |
Expert Perspectives
Academic voices at the seminar underscored that “the absence of war is not peace.” Professor Sajjad Siddiqui of the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at Dhaka University argued that while Bangladesh has legally “conquered” its sea through international courts, it has failed to provide physical security for its citizens within those boundaries.
Researchers also warned against viewing St Martin’s Island purely through a touristic lens, urging the state to consider the geopolitical vulnerability of its inhabitants. As the civil war in Myanmar spills over the border, the plight of these 420 men remains a test of the Bangladeshi state’s sovereignty and its commitment to protecting its most vulnerable workers.