Bagerhat: Bangladesh Coast Guard members rescued 178 Bawalis (wood collectors) who were held hostage by forest robbers after a gunfight with the bandits in Tepar Bharani canal of the Sundarbans under Dakope upazila of Khulna district on Monday.

Tipped off that a gang of robbers belonging to famous ‘Mosharraf Bahini’ held a number of Bawalis hostage in the forest, a Coast Guard team conducted a drive in the area on Monday morning, said Lt Commander Abdullah Al Maruf, assistant director of Coast Guard Intelligence wing, reports the UNB.

Sensing the presence of the Coast Guard members, the robbers opened fire targeting them, forcing them to fire back that triggered a gunfight.

The Coast Guard members rescued 178 Bawalis from different parts of the canal and recovered 55 Nypa-laden boats after the bandits treated in trawlers at one stage.

They also destroyed two dens of the robbers during the drive.