Hughly was used as a base for piracy in the Bay of Bengal by

Historical accounts state that by the later 17th and 18th centuries many Portuguese in India, having lost official commercial influence, resorted to robbery and piracy. Specifically, contemporary histories note that Hooghly (Hughly) was used by some Portuguese as a base for piracy in the Bay of Bengal, making them notorious raiders in the region as their formal trade declined [1]. Additional narratives on Portuguese activity in Bengal describe plundering and piratical operations launched from their settlements around Hooghly and Bandel, corroborating the use of Hooghly as a piratical haven in the Bay of Bengal during this period.

Sources

1. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 3: Advent of the Europeans in India > Decline of the Portuguese > p. 32