Tension along the India-Bangladesh maritime border flared up once again after 13 Bangladeshi fishermen were arrested by the Indian Coast Guard off the Bengal coast on Wednesday. The fishermen were detained along with their trawler, Mayer Doaya, for allegedly violating international waters.
With this, a total of 31 Bangladeshi fishermen have been arrested in just five days, and two trawlers have been seized. The Coast Guard officials in Kolkata confirmed that the detentions were made for crossing the international border.
According to sources, the Coast Guard on Wednesday intercepted the trawler near the Sundarbans and later brought it to the Fraserganj coast. “The arrested fishermen were handed over to the Fraserganj Coastal Police Station in South 24 Parganas, where interrogation is underway to verify whether they were genuine fishermen or had entered Indian waters for other purposes,” said an Coast Guard official.
The arrested individuals hail from Purva Chandipur village in the Bagerhat district of Bangladesh, while others are from Firozpur and Jianagar. Police have initiated legal proceedings, and the accused will be produced before the Kakdwip sub-divisional court on Thursday.
Also Read: 17 Tamil Nadu fishermen injured in attack by Sri Lankan pirates
This latest incident mirrors earlier confrontations between the two countries’ fishing communities. In July last year, the Bangladesh Navy detained 34 Indian fishermen along with two trawlers—FB Chhal and FB Mangal Chandi 11—from the Bangipo sea near Mohalla port. Dhaka had then claimed that the Indian fishermen had crossed into Bangladeshi waters late at night.
Over the past few months, such maritime disputes have become frequent, with fishermen from both nations being arrested on charges of border violations. Officials on both sides note that these recurring incidents reflect the sensitive state of current India-Bangladesh relations, especially in the coastal belt adjoining the Sundarbans.
Also Read: Fishermen from Tamil Nadu stranded in Iran return home
Follow us
