Kolkata: Thirty-four fishermen from West Bengal’s Kakdwip region were detained by the Bangladesh Navy after their trawlers reportedly strayed into Bangladeshi waters during a late-night fishing expedition on July 13.
According to information received by the West Bengal government, the incident occurred amid poor visibility and rough weather, which caused two trawlers — “FB-Jhar” and “FB-Mangalchandi” — to lose direction and inadvertently cross the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
The Bangladesh authorities officially informed Indian officials about the detentions on Tuesday morning.
The fishermen, along with both trawlers, were apprehended around 77 nautical miles off the Mongla Port Fairway Buoy, a key maritime point in Bangladesh.
A state government official confirmed that efforts are underway to secure the fishermen’s release.
“The Indian High Commission in Dhaka has been contacted and diplomatic communication with the Bangladeshi administration has begun,” the official said.
Meanwhile, the Sundarban Deep-sea Fishermen Workers’ Union stated that, as per the latest updates, the detained fishermen were not facing any hardship and were reportedly safe.
“The state has already initiated procedures to bring them back. While we regularly advise fishermen to remain within Indian maritime limits, such errors occasionally occur due to weather and low visibility,” said a union representative.
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The incident comes amid heightened awareness within the fishing community regarding international boundaries, especially given recent political changes in Bangladesh.
Authorities have been consistently urging fishermen to exercise caution during deep-sea fishing trips.
Officials from West Bengal’s fisheries department remain in close contact with central agencies and are monitoring the situation as efforts continue to ensure the prompt repatriation of the detained crew members.
