How one journalist helped Sundarbans pirates mend their ways

'Master Bahini' was the largest pirate group in Sundarbans back in 2015-16. Facing a strong law enforcement drive against the pirates of Sundarbans, all large and small pirate bands were cornered during that time.

Master Bahini leader Mostofa Sheikh was tired of hiding and living in fear of losing his life in a 'crossfire'. He expressed his desire to journalist Mohsin Ul Hakim - who was in contact with him for long - that he wanted to surrender, quit robbing fishermen and live a normal life.

Mohsin Ul Hakim, a senior journalist of Jamuna Television, had been covering the Sundarbans since Cyclone Aila. He was particularly moved by how the lives of common fishermen were endangered by the pirates' presence in the Sundarbans.

The fishermen were often kidnapped and extorted for ransom. The pirates too would lose their lives in the hands of law enforcement agencies, rival groups or due to internal conflicts. But that was not enough to eliminate their presence, as new leaders and teams sprung up every now and then. 

Deliberating on the vicious circle, Mohsin decided to contribute beyond his journalistic responsibilities. He wanted to transform the lives of the pirates so that they could return to normal lives, which in effect could provide the helpless fishermen a better life. Ever since, he was in mediation with the pirates to surrender and leave behind their lives as bandits. But his attempts failed for several years. 

At the end of 2015, Mohsin snuck deep inside the Sundarbans to the Master Bahini's den in Jhaloirkhal with two of his colleagues. The plan was to cover the news that the forest's largest pirate group wanted to surrender. 

But information of this pirate group's presence in Jhaloirkhal reached the coast guard. While Mohsin and his colleagues were in conversation with the bandits about the surrender, 10-12 coast guard members with assault rifles reached the location and opened fire on them. 

Everything, including the reporters' dear lives, were at stake. The pirates fired back. The coast guard members were burst-firing from one side, while the pirate leader Mostofa was firing from his shotgun and 'three not three' [Lee–Enfield rifle] on the other side. 

The large pirate group scattered. Mohsin and his colleagues were lying flat on the mud to survive the shootout. It was impossible for the journos to know what exactly was  going on, or who was winning in that shootout. 

Half an hour later, however, the coast guard retreated after rescuing some fishermen held captive in Master's den. After the shootout ended, it turned out that no one had been shot or injured in that shootout. But it caused a huge shock and fear, both among the journos and the pirates. 

After things became normal, the discussion to surrender continued. Mostofa and his men said on camera that they want to surrender; that they want to sleep in peace. 

Although Mohsin had been pursuing the pirates' issues for long, he had not been taken seriously in the past. But following the news coverage, the journalist was taken seriously by the government on the question of the pirates' surrender. 

Through many breathtaking events like this - braving opposition from certain wings of the law enforcing agencies; and the pirates swinging between trust and suspicion - the remarkable event of Master's surrender actually took place in May 2016. 

Many such harrowing details of Mohsin's lived experience in mediating between the government and the pirates of Sundarbans have come alive through the vivid narration in his latest book "Sundarbaner Durdhorso Dossuder Rupantorer Golpo," published by The University Press Limited. The book was a big hit in February book fair, thanks to active promotion by the journalist on his social media pages followed by millions of people. 

The 400-page read, first of a book series, however, has its flaws in proofreading and at least in one place, a significant detail was abruptly cut short. Despite labourously building up to it, the book fails to describe how two major pirate forces, including the Majnu Band in West Sundarbans, finally surrendered. 

Given that the author didn't allow any little detail to miss out, this omission indicates a hurry to bring the book out in print. And some readers might feel there is repetition of similar tales in different places. But the decision belongs to the author, since he narrated what happened in real life. 

Beyond these shortcomings, this book reads like a breathtaking thriller, except that it is a compilation of real-life stories that journalist Mohsin witnessed, took part in, and actively instigated in his attempt to cover both the news and change lives, and ensure that the changes made don't return to its previous status quo.

The author masterfully delved into the humane side of a pirate's life without cloaking their vicious torture of helpless fishermen. He brings to life the background stories of how the large sahibs and fish traders in Khulna town used to control both the life of pirates and fishermen, and use them as their pawn. 

They used to get a large cut of the pie of what pirates extorted from fishermen, and at the same time sold weapons to them. They controlled the lives of the fishermen in various ways, including through high-interest loans called dadons, and forcing them to sell their hard-earned fish on their own (sahib's) terms. 

Gutgute Babu, a pirate of Majnu Band, for example, came into the life of bandits after a Mahajan implicated him in a false case over a loan. 

"The Mahajans here don't allow fishermen to build capital," Babu says in the book. "I became a fugitive on cheque fraud charges. The Mahajan took my sign on a blank cheque. I took Tk20,000 in loan but he wrote Tk1,00,000 in the cheque. That charge then led to a warrant. I couldn't stay home anymore. Then I escaped to the jungle, joined this group of pirates." 

Of course every pirate's story was not the same. But their intention to get out of the life of banditry was derived from the same drive – all of them wanted to sleep in peace.  

From the Master Bahini's surrender in May 2016 to November 2018, 328 pirates of 32 bands surrendered to the law enforcing agencies, with 470 weapons and 22,000 bullets. The prime minister later announced an initiative to rehabilitate the pirates in normal life, relieving them of all charges except murder and rape. 

Rupantarer Golpo is a book of the behind-the-scenes story of how a journalist made a difference by eliminating a vile disease that gripped the Sundarbans and its people for decades. 

It vividly narrates how Mohsin convinced the pirate bands that there could be life for them outside of the jungle; that every night they wouldn't have to hunt others and be hunted; that a peaceful sleep was indeed possible.