Twenty-six Bangladeshi fishermen who were caught in a storm in the bay of Bengal  and were rescued by Indian Coast Guard later returned to the country on Tuesday through Benapole check post. All the fishermen are residents of Pirojpur and Barguna districts. Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner in India, Sheikh Marefat Tarikul Islam, said the fishermen were under custody of Buddha Pur flood centre in Kakdwip and Moipith Shelter Home in India. Read more: Sitrang: Indian Coast Guard rescues 20 Bangladeshi fishermen stranded at sea The fishermen returned on special travel permits and were handed over to Benapole port police station after immigration procedure in the afternoon, said Abul Kalam Azad, in charge of Benapole check post immigration. From there a non-government organization named Justice and Care received them. "The 26 fishermen will return to their families by today," said Muhit Hossain, senior programme officer of Justice and Care. Read more: Fisherman goes missing as trawler capsizes at Mongla port, 21 rescued The fishermen had gone missing on August 18, as they went out to sea to catch hilsa and got caught in a storm. They were rescued eventually by Indian Coast Guard, who took them in their custody for safety.

The Indian Coast Guard  handed over 32 Bangladeshi fishermen who they rescued from the Bay of Bengal on August 19 and 20 after their boats capsized in rough weather. The fishermen were provided food, water and medical aid, and generally taken care of by the Indian Coast Guard.   Read: Coast Guard rescues 44 stranded fishermen from Bay The handover took place on Tuesday from Indian Coast Guard vessel Varad to Bangladesh Coast Guard ship Tajuddin.   Both Coast Guards work closely together as partners for search and rescue regularly, to the benefit of the maritime communities of both countries, said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

Indian Coast Guard rescued 17 more Bangladeshi fishermen from the Bay of Bengal Sunday after rescuing 10 fishermen Saturday amid rough seas and strong winds. In three operations, the ICG has rescued 27 Bangladeshi fishermen so far in its continuous effort to provide assistance at sea during inclement weather. The search for missing Bangladeshi fishermen is in progress, the ICG tweeted.

Two Indian Coast Guard ships - ICGS Sujay and ICGS Sarojini Naidu - arrived at Mongla Port on Monday as part of ongoing bilateral exchanges between Bangladesh and Indian Coast Guard.