The Indian Coast Guard has published images of two Bangladeshi fishing vessels, FV Laila-2 and FB Meghna-5, along with 78 sailors who were apprehended for allegedly fishing in Indian territorial waters.
On Tuesday night, the Coast Guard shared three photographs on its official Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) accounts. The images display the detained sailors kneeling on the decks of their vessels with their hands behind their heads, under the watch of Indian Coast Guard personnel. Additional photos show the two trawlers at sea and being towed to a nearby jetty.
The Coast Guard stated that the sailors and their boats were intercepted during an operation near Para Island. The FV Laila-2 is owned by SR Fishing, while the FB Meghna-5 belongs to C&F Agro Limited.
Suman Sen, Executive Director of C&F Agro Limited, said to news media, “On Monday morning, two trawlers were fishing within one nautical mile of Bangladesh’s territorial waters. The Indian Coast Guard intercepted them. After the Coast Guard confirmed the seizure, we informed the relevant authorities in Bangladesh to recover the vessels through legal procedures.”
Commodore Mohammad Maqsood Alam, Director General of the Directorate of Shipping, stated on Tuesday, “Government agencies, including the Bangladesh Coast Guard, have contacted Indian authorities. Measures are being taken to rescue the trawlers. The detained sailors are reportedly in good condition.”
Efforts to resolve the situation are ongoing, with authorities from both nations expected to engage in diplomatic and legal discussions. The incident occurred on Monday afternoon in the Hiron Point area of Khulna, near the maritime boundary between India and Bangladesh.
