Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has brought back 16 Bangladeshi fishermen who were in the custody of Myanmar's rebel group Arakan Army. Teknaf Battalion (2nd BGB) captain Lt. Colonel Mohammad Mohiuddin Ahmed confirmed this information.

The returning fishermen are - Md. Ismail (27), Abdul Hafez (28), Azizur Rahman (45), Abu Hena (40), Ali (40), Arafat (30), Md. Helal (28), Aman Ullah (50), Nabi Hossain (28), Md. Salimullah (45), Md. Yunus (52), Md. Sagar (22), Md. Salim (28), Dil Mohammad (27), Rahim Ullah (52) and Md. Joynal (55).

Lt. Colonel Mohammad Mohiuddin Ahmed said that on September 28, 16 fishermen went fishing in the deep Bay of Bengal in a trawler from Cox's Bazar's Nuniachhara Fishery Ghat. On the evening of October 5 in the middle of the sea, a group of armed robbers attacked and beat them and kept them captive on the deck of the trawler. The terrorists left them in a pasture in Myanmar in the early morning of October 7.

The fishermen later contacted the Arakan Army through the common people of Myanmar and voluntarily surrendered to them to save their lives. After being in the custody of Arakan Army for about 6 days, the matter was informed to the BGB by the family on October 13.

Later BGB in coordination with Myanmar Arakan Army brought 16 fishermen back to Bangladesh through Naf river border on Monday evening. After the legal process, the fishermen were returned to their families. The relatives of the returning Asha fishermen thanked BGB for such a commendable initiative.

Salim Ullah, a returning fisherman, said that robbers tortured us indescribably in the middle of the sea in the Bay of Bengal. None of us had any hope of being able to return home to our families alive. With the help of the BGB of our country, God bless us, we have returned alive. So we are thankful to BGB.