Nine Fishermen Released By Bangladesh To Reach Vizag

Visakhapatnam: The nine fishermen, who were arrested by Bangladesh authorities and released on January 26, are expected to reach Visakhapatnam on Monday evening.

According to V. Satyanarayana, the owner of the fishing boat, the Bangladesh Coast Guard handed over the fishermen to the Indian Coast Guard at the International Maritime Boundary Line on January 29. They are currently being escorted to Visakhapatnam beach.

He said two fishing boats carrying 15 crew members set out from Visakhapatnam on January 29 to meet the fishermen in the middle of the sea and escort them to Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour.

P. Lakshmana Rao, joint director of fisheries, said 13 Bangladeshi fishermen left the Visakhapatnam port on an Indian Navy ship and would be handed over to the Bangladesh Coast Guard at the international maritime border on their way home.

New clothes have been provided to the repatriated fishermen on the instructions of Visakhapatnam collector MN Harindranath, officials said.

Sources said that 128 Bangladeshi fishermen detained in India were sent back to their country within the scope of a mutual agreement last Thursday, and 23 Indian fishermen held in Bangladesh were released. 14 out of 23 Indian fishermen are from West Bengal.

The exchange was carried out by the coast guards of the two countries at the International Maritime Boundary Line in the Bay of Bengal. Sources added that the Bangladesh Coast Guard received 128 Bangladeshi fishermen and five Bangladeshi fishing boats from the Indian Coast Guard and handed over 23 Indian fishermen and two Indian fishing boats.