India-Bangladesh exchange: 90 Bangladeshi fishermen handed over for 95 Indian fishermen
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee alleged some of the released fishermen were mistreated in Bangladeshi custody.;
(Source: @AnwarAh63552241 / X)
Guwahati, Jan 7: In a notable exchange amid tense bilateral relations, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) handed over 90 Bangladeshi fishermen in return for 95 Indian fishermen at the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), a Defense official confirmed.
The Indian fishermen were handed over to the District Magistrate of South 24 Parganas, near Sagar Island, West Bengal. This operation was a joint effort involving the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the West Bengal government, and the ICG to maintain maritime relations between the two nations, the official added.
On December 9, 2024, the ICG apprehended two Bangladeshi fishing trawlers, FV Laila-2 and FV Meghna-5, with 78 fishermen for fishing within Indian waters. Following approval from the Centre, 78 crew members, along with two Bangladeshi fishing boats and an additional 12 crew from a sunken Bangladeshi fishing boat, Kausik, were repatriated.
ICG ships Varad and Amrit Kaur escorted the Bangladeshi fishermen to the IMBL on Sunday for the exchange.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while felicitating the 95 Indian fishermen released by Bangladesh, alleged that some of them were mistreated in Bangladeshi custody. "Some of the fishermen were limping and claimed they were assaulted in jail, sustaining injuries below the waist," Banerjee said. She asked district authorities to ensure medical treatment for them.
Banerjee also provided cheques of Rs 10,000 to each fisherman as financial assistance, and Rs 2 lakh to the family of a fisherman who died attempting to escape arrest.
These fishermen, primarily from Kakdwip and Namkhana, were detained after accidentally crossing into Bangladeshi waters in late 2024. "They are victims of circumstances," Banerjee remarked, noting the role of government-issued cards in tracking and identifying the fishermen.
Authorities confirmed that the fishermen were located and their release facilitated with support from local administration and police.
