9 Indian fishermen arrested
Bagerhat Correspondent :
Members of the Bangladesh Navy arrested nine Indian fishermen along with a fishing trawler from the deep sea near Fair Buoy off Mongla Sea Port on Wednesday afternoon on charges of illegal intrusion into Bangladesh’s territorial waters and fishing there.
Md. Anisur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of Mongla Police Station under Bagerhat district, confirmed the matter and stated that in the afternoon, Bangladesh Navy personnel on routine patrol in the deep Bay of Bengal observed a fishing trawler catching fish illegally.
They rushed to the spot, seized the Indian fishing trawler named ‘FB. Eney’, and arrested its nine Indian fishermen for illegal intrusion and fishing in Bangladesh waters.
he arrested fishermen hail from various locations in the Kakdip area of Dakkhin-Paschim Pargona under West Bengal, India.
The seized trawler was brought to Mongla Ferry Ghat on Thursday afternoon by the Navy personnel.
Later, the fishermen were handed over to Mongla Police Station after a case was filed against them on Friday morning for illegal intrusion into Bangladesh’s waters, and they were sent to jail following court procedures at Bagerhat district headquarters.
Md. Zahidul Islam, Senior Upazila Fishery Officer, Mongla, stated that approximately 1.5 tons of various sea fish, mainly ‘Tuna’, were recovered from the seized trawler, which will be sold at auction following court directions.
It may be mentioned that one Indian fishing trawler was seized on 17 October, two in July, and one in August from the Fair Buoy area in the deep Bay of Bengal by the Bangladesh Navy on similar charges.