14 fishermen from West Bengal held in Bangladesh after their trawler crosses maritime border

Kolkata, Oct 19 (IANS) Fourteen fishermen from West Bengal have been detained by the Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) after they ventured into international waters, police said on Sunday.

According to police sources, the fishermen are all residents of Kultali in the South 24 Parganas district. They had gone to sea in a trawler named ‘FB Shuvojatra’ on October 13.

Last Saturday, the engine of the trawler broke down in deep sea. The trawler then drifted into Bangladeshi waters in the rough sea. The Coast Guard and the army of the neighbouring country seized the trawler after it crossed the international boundary

"We have come to know that 14 fishermen from Kultali ventured into Bangladeshi waters after their trawler broke down. The family members have been informed. We have shared the information with the appropriate authorities so that they can hold talks with officers of the neighbouring country for their release," said a senior officer of South 24 Parganas district.

The family members of the fishermen learned about the detention and have been finding it difficult to contact them as they are being held in Bangladesh. As a result, the village of Kultali is in a state of anxiety during the festive season. The fishermen's organisation has urgently appealed to the governments of the two countries to intervene so that the fishermen can be brought back to the country. According to administration sources, inquiries are being made.

Last month, about 13 Bangladeshi fishermen illegally infiltrated the coastal borders in West Bengal, which prompted state and central coastal security agencies to beef up security and surveillance in sensitive Sunderbans areas.

The Indian Coast Guard had apprehended a Bangladeshi trawler, with 13 fishermen aboard, which had entered Indian waters after crossing the maritime boundary.

Due to the porous and riverine international border between India and Bangladesh, Bangladeshi boats and trawlers often venture into Indian waters.

--IANS

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