Staff Correspondent, Dhaka
Published: 29 January 2026
The families of fishermen detained by the Myanmar insurgent group, Arakan Army (AA), have urged the government to take immediate action for their rescue. According to the families, at least 420 fishermen from Teknaf and St. Martin’s Island have been abducted by the AA from within Bangladeshi territorial waters over the last five months. They alleged that the government has yet to initiate any visible efforts to bring them back.
The plea was made on Thursday during an event titled “Island Women: A Feminist Environmentalist Vision for St. Martin’s Island,” held at the Professor Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium of Dhaka University. The program was organized by the Center for Critical Discourse (CCD).
Humayra Begum and Rabeya Begum, two residents of St. Martin’s, traveled to Dhaka to attend the event. Their husbands were abducted by the Arakan Army while fishing last September. They have received no information regarding their whereabouts for nearly five months.
Breaking down in tears while describing the hardship of managing a household in her husband’s absence, Humayra Begum said, “I do not know if my husband is alive or dead. Meanwhile, I am struggling to survive on half-meals with my two children.”
She further explained that fishermen often have to take loans (Dadon) before going to sea. “Amidst this poverty, there is also the pressure to repay those loans. I demand the government take vigorous steps to rescue my husband,” Humayra added.
Rabeya Begum also shared her struggles. “Even fishing within our own national borders is no longer safe. The Arakan Army takes people away, and the government cannot provide security. The government must take immediate steps to rescue my husband,” she said.
Madina Begum—mother of two missing fishermen and mother-in-law to Rabeya and Humayra—recounted how she raised her sons with great difficulty after losing her husband at a young age. “Our sorrow never ends. I make a heartfelt appeal to the government: please arrange things so I can see my sons’ faces one last time before I die,” she lamented.
Mohammad Zubayer, a resident of St. Martin’s, noted that while tourism exists nominally for only two months, fishing remains the ancestral profession of the islanders. “Our primary livelihood is under attack. When we go to fish, the Arakan Army abducts our fishermen from our own waters. The government is failing to provide security,” he said.
Meghmallar Basu, President of a faction of the Dhaka University unit of the Student Union, criticized the lack of public and political activity regarding the abduction of over 400 fishermen.
“We have always taken a stand against every killing at the border, including the Felani murder. I am not downplaying BSF’s border killings, but just imagine if 450 Bangladeshi fishermen were currently held by the BSF—the influential figures of DUCSU would have held hundreds of marches with ‘Slavery or Freedom’ slogans,” he remarked.
Terming the victimization of fishermen by the Arakan Army as a form of “subjugation,” Meghmallar added, “It seems to me that when a paramilitary force—empowered due to various negotiations with our government—detains 450 of our people and the government cannot resolve it, it signifies total subservience.” He called for building public awareness on the issue.
Participating in the discussion, Professor Sajjad Siddiqui of the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at Dhaka University said that the absence of war does not necessarily mean peace. He noted that structural inequality creates the context for potential conflict, adding that while Bangladesh has achieved a “maritime victory” in terms of territory, the security of its fishermen remains unmeasured. He emphasized that the same insecurity exists across the plains, hills, and islands, and must be questioned collectively.
Mir Mohammad Ali, Assistant Professor of the Department of Aquaculture at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, said it is heartbreaking to hear the plight of St. Martin’s residents. “The families of the missing only want to know if their loved ones are alive. The state is failing even to provide that information,” he said.
Samira Ahmed, a researcher at the Bengal Foundation, observed that when St. Martin’s is viewed only through a tourist’s lens, the residents become secondary. She argued that the island must be viewed from a geopolitical perspective rather than in isolation.
The program was moderated by Shoilee Akhund, a contributor to the Centre for Critical Discourse.
