Mongla, Dec 11 (V7N) – Bangladesh and India have completed a formal exchange of detained fishermen under a bilateral understanding facilitated by both countries’ Ministries of Foreign Affairs and coordinated at sea by their respective Coast Guard authorities.

Bangladesh handed over 47 Indian fishermen along with three fishing boats—FB Ma Mangal Chandi-38, FB Jhor, and FB Parmita-4—to the Indian Coast Guard on December 9 at the Bangladesh-India International Maritime Boundary Line. In return, India repatriated 32 Bangladeshi fishermen and one fishing boat, FB Mayer Doa, to the Bangladesh Coast Guard. Another Bangladeshi fishing vessel remains in the process of being released.

Coast Guard Media Officer (Dhaka) Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haque confirmed the development on Wednesday. He said the 47 Indian fishermen were detained by the Bangladesh Navy on July 12 and August 2 for illegally fishing inside Bangladesh’s territorial waters near the international maritime boundary. The three vessels they were operating were seized at the time of arrest.

Conversely, India detained 32 Bangladeshi fishermen on September 12 and 17 after they were found fishing inside Indian waters with two Bangladeshi fishing boats. Both countries subsequently agreed to the exchange through diplomatic channels.

Under the directives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh Coast Guard was tasked with executing the transfer and reception procedures for the detainees. After completion of the exchange at sea, the returning Bangladeshi fishermen—who had been imprisoned in India for three months—were brought to the Coast Guard West Zone headquarters in Mongla at noon on Wednesday. They were then formally handed over to their respective families. The Indian nationals had spent nearly four months in Bangladeshi custody before being repatriated.

Officials stated that the bilateral exchange reflects ongoing cooperation between the two neighboring countries on maritime security and humanitarian considerations.

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