Bangladesh Navy detains 31 fishermen, CM assures help

Lt Md Mosiul Islam, the commanding serviceman of BNS Shaheed Akhtar Uddin, connected Wednesday had said that overseas vessels were detected connected radar and captured aft a chase.  “When the trawlers tried to flee, BNS Shaheed Akhtar Uddin pursued and detained them wrong Bangladesh’s maritime boundary,” helium said astatine a property league astatine Payra Port.

“A full of 31 Indian nationals were connected committee the 2 vessels flying the Indian flag. Those were taken to Patuakhali, and the trawlers and fishermen were handed implicit to Kolapara constabulary for ineligible action,” helium further said.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA from Kakdwip, Manturam Pakhira, said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called him and enquired astir the situation. “All are precise worried. The main curate said that the authorities authorities volition effort their champion to assistance the detained fishermen instrumentality to India,” helium added.

Additionally, the West Bengal Fishermen Association has erstwhile again issued a stern informing to its members to refrain from venturing beyond Indian territorial waters for fishing. Joy Prakash Haldar, the spokesperson for the association, stressed connected the request for strict compliance of the guidelines.

“It’s a regrettable incident… We person repeatedly made it wide that we cannot beryllium held liable for anyone who is apprehended portion sportfishing successful Bangladesh waters. Our relation has issued explicit instructions to fishermen to debar crossing the Indian border,” helium said.

Haldar said the regularisation was implemented astir 10 years ago, and since then, astir 350 to 400 fishermen person been detained by the Bangladeshi authorities. “Over the past decade, betwixt 350 and 400 fishermen person been arrested portion sportfishing successful Bangladeshi territory,” Haldar told The Indian Express.

The boats of the 31 detained fishermen deficiency instrumentality with modern exertion to find its precise location, and inadvertently entered Bangladesh waters, a subordinate of the relation said.

“All trawlers and boats should beryllium equipped with GPS to debar specified incidents. Navigation systems are indispensable for harmless and ineligible fishing,” the relation subordinate said.

Fishermen person besides expressed concerns implicit the deficiency of carnal demarcation successful the sea, dissimilar onshore borders, stating that without modern technology, it tin beryllium challenging to find the nonstop boundary.