Two Cases Filed After Sundarbans Coast Guard Operation

Two criminal cases have been filed following a Coast Guard operation against the alleged forest-based criminal group known locally as the “Dulabhai Bahini” in the Sundarbans. The cases include charges of murder, attempted murder and illegal possession of firearms. Authorities have also arrested two alleged members of the group, including its suspected leader, after they were found with gunshot injuries.

Confirming the development on Saturday morning, Koira Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Shah Alam said the cases were registered based on a complaint filed by Coast Guard Petty Officer Ariful Islam. One case includes allegations of murder, attempted murder, obstructing government officials from carrying out their duties and damaging government property under various sections of the Penal Code. The second case has been filed under the Arms Act. Police said efforts are continuing to identify and arrest the remaining accused named in the complaint.

According to the Coast Guard and police, the operation began at around 10:30 p.m. on Thursday in the Beshokhal area of the Sundarbans near the Aruashibsa River, adjacent to Tetultala Char in Koira Upazila. The Coast Guard stated that its personnel came under sudden gunfire after the alleged forest gang detected their presence. Officers returned fire in self-defence, and the exchange of gunfire continued until dawn on Friday.

One person was killed during the operation. The Coast Guard also reported recovering three injured individuals from the scene, including alleged gang leader Robiul Islam. During the search, officers seized six single-barrel firearms, 69 live cartridges and other items believed to be connected to the armed group.

Hospital and police sources, however, said that on Friday morning the Coast Guard brought the body of 64-year-old Sakat Sardar, along with the injured Robiul Islam, to Koira Upazila Health Complex. After receiving primary treatment, Robiul Islam was referred to Khulna Medical College Hospital for advanced medical care.

Later that afternoon, police arrested another alleged member of the Dulabhai Bahini, Israfil Hawlader, from the nearby Baburabad area while he was suffering from gunshot wounds. He remains under medical treatment.

Koira Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Rezaul Karim said the Coast Guard initially brought two people to the hospital. One had already died, while the injured Robiul Islam was stabilised before being transferred to Khulna Medical College Hospital. Later, police admitted another gunshot victim for treatment.

Hospital admission records show that Robiul Islam was admitted to Khulna Medical College Hospital at 9:55 a.m. on Friday with a documented “gunshot injury”.

Residents of Maheshwaripur identified Robiul Islam as the leader of the Dulabhai Bahini. According to local accounts, the criminal group emerged in 2024 after the death of the former leader of the notorious Ilias Bahini. Residents claim that Robiul Islam, the brother-in-law of the deceased Ilias, subsequently formed a new armed group, which later became widely known in the area as the Dulabhai Bahini.

Officer-in-Charge Shah Alam said police had completed the inquest report on Sakat Sardar’s body, which has been sent to the morgue at Khulna Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Meanwhile, Sakat Sardar’s daughter, Mariam Khatun, claimed that her father was a fisherman who had been abducted several days earlier by forest criminals demanding ransom. She said the family had been anxiously waiting for his safe return before learning of his death following the operation.

The circumstances surrounding Sakat Sardar’s presence at the scene have also raised questions. Fishing inside the Sundarbans is currently prohibited because of the annual fish breeding season. His family insists he had not entered the forest voluntarily but had been held captive by the alleged criminal group for several days before the gun battle.

The First Information Report states that two Coast Guard personnel sustained injuries during the exchange of gunfire and that one Coast Guard speedboat suffered damage estimated at approximately BDT 500,000. It also says Coast Guard members fired 216 rounds of ammunition and one blank cartridge in self-defence.

Following the operation, a diver team searched the area and recovered six single-barrel firearms, 69 live cartridges, three spent cartridge cases, a machete, a basic mobile phone and a wristwatch.

After the operation, officials said the situation in that part of the Sundarbans had returned to normal. A.Z.M. Hasanur Rahman, Divisional Forest Officer of the Sundarbans West Forest Division, said three forest patrol teams had been deployed to strengthen surveillance. He added that the Forest Department is continuing coordinated operations with the Coast Guard to maintain security and monitor the area.

The Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, has historically presented significant challenges for law enforcement because of its vast network of rivers, canals and dense woodland. Although security agencies have carried out repeated operations over the years to dismantle organised forest-based criminal groups, authorities continue to conduct targeted enforcement actions whenever intelligence suggests renewed armed activity in the region.