The Bangladesh Navy has said that it has detained 31 Indian fishermen, along with two fishing trawlers — FB Basanti and FB Jai Jagannath — for illegally entering their territory.
The detained fishermen are residents of Kakdwip of South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, officials said. According to the Bangladesh Navy, these fishermen not only entered their country’s territory, but also tried fishing during the ongoing 22-day fishing ban in their country aimed at protecting marine resources.
Lt Md Mosiul Islam, the commanding officer of BNS Shaheed Akhtar Uddin, on Wednesday had said that foreign vessels were detected on radar and captured after a chase. “When the trawlers tried to flee, BNS Shaheed Akhtar Uddin pursued and detained them within Bangladesh’s maritime boundary,” he said at a press conference at Payra Port.
“A total of 31 Indian nationals were on board the two vessels flying the Indian flag. Those were taken to Patuakhali, and the trawlers and fishermen were handed over to Kolapara police for legal action,” he further said.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA from Kakdwip, Manturam Pakhira, said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called him and enquired about the situation. “All are very worried. The chief minister said that the state government will try their best to help the detained fishermen return to India,” he added.
Additionally, the West Bengal Fishermen Association has once again issued a stern warning to its members to refrain from venturing beyond Indian territorial waters for fishing. Joy Prakash Haldar, the spokesperson for the association, stressed on the need for strict compliance of the guidelines.
“It’s a regrettable incident… We have repeatedly made it clear that we cannot be held responsible for anyone who is apprehended while fishing in Bangladesh waters. Our association has issued explicit instructions to fishermen to avoid crossing the Indian border,” he said.
Haldar said the rule was implemented approximately 10 years ago, and since then, around 350 to 400 fishermen have been detained by the Bangladeshi authorities. “Over the past decade, between 350 and 400 fishermen have been arrested while fishing in Bangladeshi territory,” Haldar told The Indian Express.
The boats of the 31 detained fishermen lack equipment with modern technology to determine its precise location, and inadvertently entered Bangladesh waters, a member of the association said.
“All trawlers and boats should be equipped with GPS to avoid such incidents. Navigation systems are essential for safe and legal fishing,” the association member said.
Fishermen have also expressed concerns over the lack of physical demarcation in the sea, unlike land borders, stating that without modern technology, it can be challenging to determine the exact boundary.