How the Sundarbans pirates changed their way 

'Master Bahini' was the largest pirate band in Sundarbans back in 2015-16. In the face of law enforcing agencies' strong drive against the pirates of Sundarbans, all the large and small pirate groups were cornered during that time.

Master Bahini leader Mostofa Sheikh was tired of hiding and fear of losing his life in crossfire. He expressed his desire to Journalist Mohsin Ul Hakim, who was in contact with him for long, that he wanted to surrender, quit robbery 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 deeply troubled by pirates' presence in 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 used to sprout there every now and then. 

The author masterfully delved into the humanitarian side of a pirate life without cloaking their vicious torture on the 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 as their pawn. 

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 the lives of bandits. But his attempts failed for several years. 

At the end of 2015, Mohsin sneaked deep inside the Sundarbans to the Master band's den in Jhaloirkhal with two of his colleagues. The plan was to cover the news that 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 surrender and covering the news, 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. Coast guard was brush-firing their rifles from one side, the pirate leader Mostofa was firing from his shotgun and 'three not three' [Lee–Enfield rifle] on the other side. 

The large pirate group segregated. Mohsin and his colleagues were lying flat on the mud to survive the shootout. It was possible 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 captive in Master's den. After the shootout ended, it turned out that no one was shot or injured in that shootout. But it caused huge shock and fear both among the journos and the pirates. 

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

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

And through many breathtaking events like this, braving the opposition from certain wings of the law enforcing agencies and pirates swinging in between trust and suspicion, the remarkable success of Master's surrender actually happened in May 2016. 

Many such harrowing details of Mohsin's lived experience in mediating between the government and the pirates of Sundarbans have come in print with 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 without describing how two major pirate forces including Majnu Band in West Sundarbans finally surrendered despite building up to the process elaborately. 

Contrary to the entire book being so vividly described as the author didn't allow any little detail to miss out, this omission indicates a hurry to bring the book to print. And some readers might say there is an issue of repetition of similar tales in different places. But the choice is the author's since he went on narrating 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, collaborated to, and actively instigated in his attempt to cover both the news, changed lives and stick with it to ensure that changes made don't return to its previous status quo.

The author masterfully delved into the humanitarian side of a pirate life without cloaking their vicious torture on the 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 as their pawn. 

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

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

"The Mahajans here don't allow fishermen to build capital," Babu says in the book. "I became a fugitive on cheque 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 got a warrant issued. 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 bandits was derived from the same drive – all of them wanted to sleep at peace.  

From the Master band'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 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 story of how a journalist made a difference by eliminating a vile that gripped the Sundarbans and its people for decades. 

It vividly narrates how Mohsin convinced the pirate bands that there could be a 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.