Pirates looted hilsa fish, fuel, cash from 69 trawlers in the Bay off the coastal areas of Patuakhali and Barguna districts and kidnapped for ransom 72 fishermen from the looted trawlers on Monday and Tuesday.

One of the two fishermen, who were bullet-hit by pirates, has remained missing.

Three pirate gangs named Raju Bahini, Nasir Bahini and Mujahid Bahini jointly attacked 50 trawlers about 40 km to the south of Kuakata sea beach, looted hilsa worth overTk 20 lakh, cash and fuel from them and kidnapped one fisherman from each trawler, said fisherman Abdul Aziz, who returned to Mohipur yesterday noon.

At least 20 fishermen came to Mohipur yesterday noon with three

trawlers named FB Alauddin, FB Fulkumari and Samitty-39 that had been attacked by the pirate gang.

The gang demanded Tk two lakh as ransom for each abducted and threatened to kill them in case of failure, said the fishermen after returning.

"At about 5:00pm on Monday, men of pirate gang Raju Bahini attacked our trawler with firearms and sharp weapons and looted fish worth over Tk 50,000 and fuel. They shot at us as we tried to resist," said fisherman Kalu Howlader, 35.

With bullet injuries caused by pirates, he was admitted to Mohipur health centre yesterday morning.

Another bullet-hit by pirates, Faruq Howlader, 30, of Mithaganj village under Kalapara upazila is still missing, Kalu said.

"Pirate gangs earlier demandedTk one lakh from each trawler for the ongoing hilsa season from May 16 to October but we could not meet the demand. In previous years, we paid Tk 10,000 per trawler. The looted trawlers are returning to Mohipur from the sea," said Ismail Hossain, a trawler owner at Mohipur in Patuakhali district.

"Fishermen are feeling insecure in the Bay as pirate gangs have become more active during the ongoing hilsa season. We informed local law enforcement agencies but to no effect," he said.

About 30 kilometres to the south of Pathorghata in Barguna district, pirates yesterday looted fishes, fuel and cash over Tk 15 lakh from 19 trawlers and kidnapped 22 fishermen demanding ransom of Tk one lakh

per fisherman, said Golam Mostafa, secretary of Mohipur fish traders association.

The looted trawlers include FB Shahjahan, FB Sima, FB Shadin, FB Mehedi Hasan, FB Mayer DOa, FB Mayer Doa-1, FB Mayer Doa-2, FB Khadija, FB CCDB, FB Altaf, FB Sohraf, FB Kabir, FB Anwar, he said.

When contacted, Abul Kashem, officer in charge of Kuakata police camp, said, "Nobody filed any case regarding the incidents of pirates' attack and trawler looting. I have informed my higher authorities of the matter.”

"We heard the news of kidnapping of 22 fishermen from Barguna. We have already started drive to rescue them from pirate gangs," said Lt Mushfiqur Rahman, commander of the Navy contingent in Pathorghata.