India sends back 90 BD fishermen

CHATTOGRAM, Jan 07: A total of 90 Bangladeshi sailors and fishermen were sent back by India on Tuesday, nearly one month after their detention in the neighbouring country.
They were handed over to their families at Patenga in the port city around 10:00am. India also gave back two trawlers of the fishermen.
The handover took place shortly after Bangladesh gave back the Indian fishermen and sailors detained on charges of illegal fishing in Bangladesh waters.
Lieutenant Commander Md Siam-Ul-Haq, media officer at the Bangladesh Coast Guard, said the BCG and Bangladesh Navy intercepted six Indian fishing trawlers engaged in illegal fishing in Bangladesh waters near the Bangladesh-India International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
Later on January 5, Bangladesh handed over 95 Indian fishermen and their boats to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
On the other hand, the ICG intercepted two Bangladeshi fishing trawlers (FB Laila-02 and FB Meghna-5) with 78 fishermen and sailors aboard on charges of illegal fishing in Indian waters on December 9 last year.
The returnees include 12 fishermen rescued by the Indian Coast Guard on September 12 after their boat sank amid adverse weather near the IMBL.

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