Bagerhat: A total of fourteen robbers of two different criminal gangs surrendered themselves to Rapid Action Battalion in its Barisal Headquarters on Thursday.

The robbers, among them 10 belonged to Shanta Bahini [gang] and four to Alam Bahini, laid down arms and bullets at a programme attended by Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Rapid Action Battalion director general Benazir Ahmed.

The robbers handed over 20 guns and 1008 bullets to the law enforcers at the RAB headquarters at Rupatoli area in the city of Barisal, said RAB-8 commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Iftekharul Mabud.

The 10 Santo Bahini members are: Abdul Barek Talukder (48-year-old leader), Monir Hawlader (55), Dulal Mollah Bhandhari (40), Farid Hawlader (26), Anisur Rahman Mollah (35), Bashir Ahmed (47), Farid Gazi (38), Mostafa Sheikh (46), Sayem Ali aka Nurul Islam (44), Khorshed Sheikh (52). All were residents of different places in Bagerhat.

Four members of Alam Bahini are: Alam Sarder (34-year-old leader), Halim Gazi (26), Abu Bakar Siddik (27) and Asaduzzaman (18) hailing from Satkhira.

A team of RAB conducted drive in Suppara and Punerkhal areas in the Sundarban under Sarankhola upazila from 3:00pm to 5:00pm on Wednesday and arrested a number of pirates from their hideouts.

Later, the two pirate gangs wanted to surrender along with the gang members, added the RAB official. The gang members were wanted in several cases, said the RAB official.

They used to attack trawlers of fishermen, wood cutters and honey collectors and abducted fishermen for ransom in deep forests of the Sundarban.

Earlier ten members of infamous robber gang ‘Master Bahini’, including its ringleader, surrendered to RAB in presence of Home Minister Asaduzzamna Khan in Mongla of Bagerhat on 31 May.

Two other forest robber gangs — Majnu Bahini and Eillias Bahini — surrendered to the home minister along with their arms and ammunition at BFDC jetty in Mongla of Bagerhat on 15 July.