KHULNA, Sept 2, 2026 (BSS) - A total of 59 active members of five pirate gangs operating in the Sundarbans have surrendered to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), while 59 firearms, 541 rounds of ammunition and other equipment have been recovered from different parts of the forest.

RAB Director General Additional IGP Md Ahsan Habib Palash disclosed the information today at a media briefing at the RAB-6 headquarters in Khulna. 

He said the operation, titled "Operation Re-Store Peace in Sundarbans," was launched to make the Sundarbans free from piracy and ensure the safety of people whose livelihoods depend on the forest and its waterways.

The five pirate gangs surrendered on August 31. They included 16 members of the Boro Jahangir Gang, 13 of the Anarul Gang, 15 of the Afzal alias Dulabhai Gang, eight of the Aftab Gang and seven of the Mizan Gang.

Following the surrender, RAB conducted several raids based on intelligence information and recovered 59 firearms, including four shotguns, 47 one-shooter guns, four pipe guns, three air guns and a point-22 bore rifle. 

Seven walkie-talkies, 541 rounds of live ammunition and 14 empty cartridges were also recovered.

The RAB chief said the Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world's largest mangrove forest, supports the livelihoods of around 25 lakh people living in the country's southwestern coastal region.

"For years, fishermen, honey collectors, golpata collectors and others dependent on the Sundarbans for their livelihoods have been subjected to extortion, intimidation and other forms of abuse by pirate groups," he said.

RAB, in coordination with the Bangladesh Coast Guard, local administration, naval police and the Forest Department, has been conducting sustained operations against piracy under "Operation Re-Store Peace in Sundarbans" since March 2, 2026.

Addressing the pirates who have not yet surrendered, the RAB DG urged them to abandon criminal activities and return to a normal life.

"Leave the path of piracy and return to the path of light. Surrender and come back to a healthy and normal life. RAB is making every effort to provide you with the highest possible assistance," he said.

He, however, warned that those who continue their criminal activities would face the strongest legal action.

"If you continue these criminal activities, you will have to face the strictest legal measures. RAB's zero-tolerance policy will continue to ensure a pirate-free Sundarbans and protect the lives and security of hardworking people in the coastal areas," he added. 

The RAB chief reaffirmed the force's commitment to protecting the Sundarbans, the lives and livelihoods of forest-dependent communities, and the country's valuable natural resources and biodiversity.

He also said RAB would continue to work firmly to uphold the rule of law, protect human rights, ensure the safety of all citizens, prevent and detect crimes, and bring offenders to justice.

Meanwhile, a three-month ban on the entry of tourists and forest-dependent people into the Sundarbans, imposed from June 1 to August 31 to facilitate wildlife breeding, movement and biodiversity conservation, ended on August 31.

The Sundarbans reopened to tourists and forest-dependent people from September 1, subject to applicable rules and permissions.

The RAB DG expressed hope that the surrender of the 59 pirates would help ensure safe movement of tourists and forest workers and contribute positively to economic activities centred on the Sundarbans.