A fisherman has reportedly been killed and two others injured after the Myanmar Navy opened fire on a Bangladeshi fishing trawler near St Martin's Island in the Bay of Bengal, reports bdnews24.com.
Trawler owners claim that five trawlers carrying 60 people were taken to Myanmar. One has since returned with the deceased and the injured on board.
The Myanmar Navy opened fire in Moulvir Shil estuary of the Bay of Bengal southwest of St Martin's Island on Wednesday afternoon, trawler owners said.
Md Osman died after being shot in the incident, they said. He hailed from Shah Porir Dwip's Konarpara area and worked as a fisherman on a trawler owned by the Saiful Company.
The injured fishermen work on the same trawler, but their names and identities have yet to be confirmed.
Trawler owner Saiful said that the Myanmar Navy suddenly gave chase and opened fire on the vessels as they were fishing. They then took the five trawlers and those on board back to Myanmar.
A man shot during the incident died on one of his trawlers, Saiful said. The trawler arrived at Shah Porir Dwip on Thursday afternoon after the Myanmar Navy released it.
The owners of the other four trawlers are Matiur Rahman, Abdullah, his brother Ataullah and Md Asem. All of them hail from Shah Porir Dwip.
Matiur said they do not have any communication with the trawlers or their sailors and passengers.
Asked about the incident, Lt Col Md Mohiuddin Ahmed, captain of the BGB Teknaf-2 Battalion, said that the matter should be discussed with the Coast Guard.
Md Adnan Chowdhury, executive officer of Teknaf Upazila, said he had heard of a trawler returning with a fisherman killed by gunfire.
A Coast Guard official on duty at Shah Porir Dwip said, on condition of anonymity, that a man had died after being shot.
The vessel carrying the deceased and injured came to the port with 11 on board, they said.
They said they had heard the remaining trawlers had also been released. Details of the incident will be available at a later time, the Coast Guard official said.
