Members of four separate pirate gangs are formally surrendering in the Sundarbans. Photo: BSS

KHULNA, Sept 1, 2026 (BSS) - A total of 52 members of four robber gangs operating in the Sundarbans surrendered to the authorities as part of ongoing operations by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-6 to ensure security in the world's largest mangrove forest.

The surrender took place on Monday at a programme organised to strengthen security in the Sundarbans. The robbers handed over their firearms and pledged to return to normal life.

Of the 52, 16 were members of Boro Jahangir Bahini, 13 of Anarul Bahini, 15 of Afzal alias Dulabhai Bahini and eight of Aftab Bahini.

RAB-6 Commander Nistar Ahmed said fishermen, bawalis and mouals who depend on the Sundarbans for their livelihoods had long faced risks of abduction and ransom demands by robbers.

He said the Sundarbans reopened today for tourists and forest-dependent people following a three-month ban imposed to facilitate the breeding and movement of wildlife.

The surrender of the 52 robbers a day before the reopening is expected to improve the safety of forest-dependent communities and tourists while supporting the local economy, officials said.

It is also expected to help curb illegal extraction of forest resources and wildlife poaching.

Nistar Ahmed said necessary legal procedures would be taken against the surrendered individuals under existing laws, and they would be produced before the court in due course.

He added that RAB's intelligence surveillance and anti-crime operations would continue to protect the Sundarbans' biodiversity, ensure the safety of forest-dependent communities and combat organised crime.