At least 90 Bangladeshi sailors and fishermen, who had been detained by the Indian Coast Guard while fishing near the international maritime boundary, have been reunited with their families.
On Tuesday, the Bangladesh Coast Guard officially handed over the men to their families and the owners of the fishing boats in a ceremony held in Chattogram’s Patenga.
Zahirul Haque, commander of the Coast Guard’s Eastern Zone, mentioned that the Bangladesh Coast Guard and Navy had also seized six Indian fishing boats with 95 fishermen aboard in a separate incident.
“On December 9, 2024, the Indian Coast Guard seized two Bangladeshi fishing vessels carrying 78 sailors and fishermen. They claimed that the two Bangladeshi fishing vessels were fishing in their waters. Additionally, on September 12, 2024, when a Bangladeshi trawler sank, the country’s Coast Guard rescued 12 fishermen and took them to India,” he said.
He further added that the foreign ministry initiated the process, leading to a decision to exchange the detainees through a bilateral agreement, with the Bangladesh Coast Guard tasked with carrying it out.
As part of this process, the sailors and fishermen detained by both countries at the international maritime border were handed over on Sunday.
Zahirul noted that the 90 sailors and fishermen, including those from ‘FB Laila-2’ and ‘FB Meghna-5’, were brought to Chattogram on Monday night.
