Two fishermen have been confirmed dead and three remain missing after an Indian fishing trawler allegedly came under attack by the Bangladeshi Coast Guard in the Bay of Bengal earlier this week. The Indian Coast Guard continues search operations for the missing fishermen.
The incident occurred early Monday morning when the fishing trawler FB Parmita-10, registered at Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas, was operating near the international maritime boundary. According to allegations, a Bangladeshi Coast Guard vessel entered Indian territorial waters with its lights switched off and attacked the trawler, causing it to sink. Sixteen fishermen were on board at the time.
Following the incident, 11 fishermen were rescued with the assistance of nearby trawlers, while five went missing. After a search operation, the bodies of two fishermen were recovered from the wrecked vessel. Police identified the deceased as Sanjeev Das, a resident of Paschim Gangadharpur under the Kakdwip Assembly constituency, and Ranjan Das from Purba Bardhaman district.
The damaged trawler was towed to Namkhana port late on Wednesday night.
One of the rescued fishermen, Sheikh Saifuddin, alleged that the attack was sudden and unprovoked. “On Monday morning, we were preparing to cast our nets near the international maritime boundary. Suddenly, a Bangladeshi Coast Guard vessel approached. Without any warning, they threw a spear at the fisherman who was steering the trawler. It hit Rajdul Ali Sheikh, who fell into the water. After that, they rammed our trawler, and it sank,” he claimed.
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Confirming the recovery of the bodies, Surajit Bag, Assistant Fisheries Officer (Marine) of South 24 Parganas district, said, “Two of the five missing fishermen have been found dead. Search operations are still underway for the remaining three. Based on statements from the rescued fishermen, there are allegations that a Bangladeshi Coast Guard vessel rammed the trawler. The matter is under investigation.”
The rescued fishermen further claimed that they were fishing well within Indian territorial waters at the time of the incident. According to them, the Indian Coast Guard had earlier instructed fishing vessels not to go beyond point number 12 near the maritime boundary. Complying with the directive, they had cast their nets at point number 11 at around 5 am on Monday.
Authorities have said that all aspects of the incident, including the exact location of the trawler and the allegations of a cross-border violation, are being examined.
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