At a public event in Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district where the chief minister felicitated 95 fishermen released from the Bangladesh jails a day ago as part of a prisoner swap programme, Banerjee described them as “victims of circumstances”.
Most of them were from Kakdwip and Namkhana. The Indian Coast Guard handed over the fishermen to the district magistrate of South 24 Parganas near Sagar Island on Monday.
“I found some of them were limping. When asked, the fishermen told me that they were assaulted in jail with their hands tied… They were beaten on their legs with rods. As a result, they have injuries below the waist… They were crying while narrating their ordeal to me. I will tell the District Magistrate that they should be provided proper treatment,” Banerjee said after distributing Rs 10,000 to each of the 95 fishermen.
The CM claimed that the fishermen were spotted with the help of a card given to them by the state government. The authorities can track a fisherman with that.
Last October, six trawlers from West Bengal had entered Bangladesh waters, following which the Bangladesh Navy detained the 95 fishermen. “Through police and others, we got to know the fishermen were missing and by mistake had crossed over to Bangladesh. We later found out that they were detained at a police station. Both the countries kept in touch and with legal help, we arranged for fishermen’s return. Today, the families are smiling, but… there was an uncertainty looming over (them) for the past two months. I will tell the fishermen not to cross the border,” the chief minister added.
“One Bangladesh trawler came here… sometimes they also lose the route. Some of them were unwell… we treated them and kept them well so that our country and West Bengal’s names were not tarnished… Finally, both the countries handed over each other’s citizens… I want both countries to be in a cordial relationship of friendship,” she added.
The family of a fisherman who had jumped and lost his life was handed over Rs 2 lakh by the chief minister at the event.
On Sunday, a prisoner exchange took place in the Bay of Bengal between India and Bangladesh. The India Coast Guard ships, Varad and Amrit Kaur, repatriated 95 Indian fishermen and four boats while handing over 90 Bangladeshi fishermen, including 12 rescued from the sunken “Kaushik,” to the Bangladesh Coast Guard.
Meanwhile, the chief minister announced the ‘Samudra Sathi’ project under which fishermen will get Rs 5,000 each for two months and two lakh fishermen will benefit from it.
‘Matsajibi Bandhu’ scheme will also be introduced under which the next of kin of a fisherman would be given a compensation of Rs 2 lakh “after his death, she said without elaborating about them.