ICG detains 26 Bangladeshi fishermen for violating Indian waters in Bay of Bengal
Kolkata: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Monday once again detained Bangladeshi fishermen for violating Indian waters in the Bay of Bengal. This time Indian Coast Guard detained a trawler with 26 fishermen.
They were handed over to Fraserganj Coast Police Station in the South 24 Parganas district. They will be produced in the Kakdwip Sub-divisional court on Tuesday.
On Sunday, the Indian Coast Guard detained 29 Bangladeshi fishermen from another trawler, which similarly ventured into Indian waters. In two days, a total of 55 Bangladeshi fishermen have been detained.
On Monday, the Indian Coast Guard, while patrolling the Bay of Bengal, spotted the trawler and seized it. There were 26 fishermen on it. The trawler was immediately brought to the coastal area of Fraserganj, and the fishermen were handed over to the police.
Officials raised concern over the rising number of Bangladeshi trawlers venturing into Indian waters with so many fishermen on them.
Satinath Patra, Secretary of the Sundarban Fishermen Workers Union, said, “Yesterday, the Indian Coast Guard seized a Bangladeshi trawler named Amina. The Fraserganj Coastal Police Station arrested 29 fishermen on that trawler on charges of violating Indian waters. This morning, the Indian Coast Guard seized another Bangladeshi trawler named FB Mayer Daya. There were 26 Bangladeshi fishermen on that trawler. After detaining them, the Indian Coast Guard handed them over to the Fraserganj Coastal Police Station.”
He further said, “The reason why so many Bangladeshi trawlers and fishermen are repeatedly violating Indian waters is being investigated. When diplomatic relations with Bangladesh were good, Bangladeshi fishermen were returned to that country after talking to the District Magistrate and the Home Ministry. On the other hand, Bangladesh used to return to India all the Indian fishermen who were detained by the Bangladesh Coast Guard. But in the current situation, due to the strained diplomatic relations between the two countries, many Indian fishermen are in jail in Bangladesh. Therefore, Bangladeshi fishermen who enter Indian waters are also being detained.”
Recently, an under-trial Indian fisherman died mysteriously in a Bangladeshi jail. Under those circumstances, security was further strengthened in the coastal areas, which resulted in the seizure of the Bangladeshi trawler.
In September, a trawler with 13 Bangladeshi fishermen was detained by the Indian Coast Guard. Later, the police arrested the fishermen.