Bangladesh and India on Tuesday completed the release and repatriation of 47 Indian and 38 Bangladeshi fishermen underscoring their shared commitment to humanitarian and livelihood concerns of coastal communities, said officials in Dhaka and Delhi.
The repatriation process has been implemented through the coordinated efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Ministry of Shipping, Bangladesh Coast Guard, Border Guard Bangladesh, Bangladesh Police, local administration, and other relevant agencies, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka.
"Committed to the safety, security and welfare of our fishermen," said Indian Spokesperson at the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal in message from his verified X handle.
The government of India said it attaches the highest importance to the "safety, security and welfare" of Indian fishermen.
To this end, the MEA in a media release said, it continues to work assiduously to secure the release of their fishermen from Bangladesh custody.
Indian fishermen who happened to inadvertently cross the International Maritime Boundary Line had been arrested by Bangladesh authorities recently.
Bangladesh fishermen had also been apprehended by Indian authorities similarly.
The two governments successfully concluded the release and repatriation of 47 Indian fishermen and 38 Bangladesh fishermen, along with their operable vessel.
In January 2025, the government of India facilitated the release of 95 Indian fishermen, and in a reciprocal manner, released 90 Bangladesh fishermen.
The mutual exchange of fishermen and their vessel has been worked out keeping in mind the humanitarian and livelihood concerns of fishing communities on both sides.
Indian fisherman lands in Rajshahi jail
The reciprocal repatriation of 32 Bangladeshi fishermen detained in India and 47 Indian fishermen detained in Bangladesh has been completed in the afternoon.
In the Bay of Bengal, on the International Maritime Boundary Line, the Bangladesh Coast Guard received 32 Bangladeshi fishermen from the Indian Coast Guard and handed over 47 Indian fishermen to them.
Simultaneously, the Indian Coast Guard returned one Bangladesh-owned fishing boat, while the Bangladesh Coast Guard returned three India-owned fishing boats.
At the same time, six Bangladeshi fishermen who were detained in Meghalaya, India will be repatriated through Nakugaon Land Port of Sherpur district under the supervision of the Border Guard Bangladesh. BGB and BSF are working towards that end.