Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) conducted a raid on the river Naf in Teknaf of Cox's Bazar district and seized 2.1 lakh contraband yaba pills early Monday.  Media officer of the BCG headquarters here Lt. Commander Abdur Rahman said that based on secret information, a special operation was conducted in the Naf river by BCG station Teknaf under BCG East Zone at around 2:15 am.  During the operation, the BCG members saw a locally made dinghy coming towards the Bangladesh water territory from the Myanmar frontier in the Naf River area of Sabrang Noapara.  Read more: BGB recover 70 thousand yaba worth Tk 2.1 core from Naf river As the boat crossed the border, the movement of the boat appeared suspicious and a Coast Guard member signaled the boat to stop. Realizing the presence of the Coast Guard, someone on the boat threw two yellow plastic bags into the water and quickly fled to the border of Myanmar. Later, Coast Guard members picked up the two sacks from the water and searched and seized 2 lakh 10 thousand pieces of yaba tablets, Lt. Commander Abdur Rahman said.   He further said that the seized Yaba consignment was handed over to Teknaf Model Police Station for further legal action. 

Members of Coast Guard (CG) seized 1,020 kilograms of shrimp injected with unhealthy jelly in the Meghna River on Tuesday. Lieutenant Commandant Khandakar Munif Taki, media officer of the CG Dhaka Zone, said acting on a tip-off a drive was conducted in Alubazar Ferry Ghat area and it seized the shrimps weighing around 1020 kilograms from a trawler. Read more: Shrimps inflated with jelly seized in Jashore Later, the shrimp injected with the jelly, which is considered to be injurious to health, were buried in presence of the upazila’s fishery officer and law enforcers, he added.

Police in Noakhali's Hatia have reported the deaths of three men in what it described as a "shootout between two gangs of robbers," which erupted over a turf war, in Char Ghasia of Noakhali's Hatia early Thursday. The deceased were identified as Shahraj (35), Kabir (40) and Nurunnabi (45), Hatia Police Station Office-in-Charge Amir Hossain told UNB. Their bodies have been kept at Hatia's Chairman Ghat Police Outpost and will be sent to Noakhali 250 Bed General Hospital for autopsies early Friday, he added. Earlier, Bangladesh Coast Guard claimed to have detained five robbers with arms following the turf battle. The detainees are Md Hinju, 37, of Noakhali's Char Jabbar; Mohammad Harun, 37, of Lakshmipur's Ramgati, Mohammad Liton, 35, from the district's Char Gazi village, Mohammad Mosharof, 36, of Abdul Munshirhat Kalkini village and Azim Bepari, 27, of Char Abdullah village. During its drive, Coast Guard seized three single-shot rifles, two rounds of bullets, six machetes, five spears and many iron rods from them. According to locals, two robbers, who are also brothers, Khokon and Fakhrul were at loggerheads over establishing supremacy in Char Ghasia. Recently, Fakhrul took hold of the area after the law enforcers caught Khokon. Coming out of jail on bail a few days ago, Khokon tried to regain his hold. So, the dispute between the two brothers resurfaced and led to today's gunfight. Lieutenant Shafiul Kinjol, media officer of BCG Hatia, said: "Legal action will be taken against the detainees."      

Acting foreign secretary Rear Admiral (Retd) Md Khurshed Alam said they had a high-level meeting today (September 18, 2022) with all concerned and urged Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Bangladesh Coast Guard to remain on high alert with “reinforcement”, if required. Khurshed Alam, also secretary at Maritime Affairs Unit (MAU) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Bangladesh is a “responsible and peace-loving” country and they are “observing and tolerating” the situation along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border with much patience. Talking to reporters at the ministry, he said they are in touch with all relevant agencies and the government remains alert so that no Myanmar national can enter Bangladesh. Also read: Myanmar ambassador summoned for the 4th time Earlier in the morning, the Ministry of Foreign Affais summoned the Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh Aung Kyaw Moe for the fourth time and lodged a strong protest over the recent incidents along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. The ambassador was summoned at the office of Md. Najmul Huda, Director General (South East Asia wing) of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Khurshed Alam said Bangladesh conveyed to the ambassador that what’s happening in Myanmar is their internal issue and they need to think how they will solve it. Read BNP urges global community to act against Myanmar's insolent activities He said Bangladesh has told the ambassador to take steps to prevent repetition of such incidents – death and injuries – inside Bangladesh. The acting foreign secretary said the Myanmar envoy listened to the Bangladesh side and assured that he would report to the headquarters. The acting foreign secretary hoped that there will be a solution if Bangladesh remains strong. Bangladesh is not demonstrating any weakness, rather it is conveying its message to Myanmar from a very strong position, he added. Read Do more to cut Myanmar military's revenue, arms supply: UN to countries Asked who will take responsibility of the recent death, the acting foreign secretary said they cannot say exactly who had fired the bullet, though the bullet has “Myanmar army” written on it. He said the Myanmar side was saying these bullets had been stolen by the Arakan Army and they are using these bullets to create "distance" between Bangladesh and Myanmar. “In such a situation, it is difficult to determine who will take the responsibility.” Khurshed Alam said Bangladesh has asked Myanmar to take steps for stopping the spill-over of Myanmar’s internal conflict into Bangladesh.  Read UN experts seek more help for human rights defenders in push for accountability in Myanmar Earlier, Dhaka reiterated its “deep concern” over the recent incidents of Myanmar’s mortar shelling, indiscriminate aerial firing in the bordering areas, and air space violations. On Saturday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said the government is trying to resolve the issues with Myanmar peacefully and diplomatically but a complaint will be lodged to the United Nations regarding mortar shelling at the border if necessary. He said the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry has warned them (Myanmar) several times but they didn’t keep their promise. “We have lodged a strong protest over casualties from Friday’s mortar shelling by Myanmar at Tombru border,” he added. Read Bangladesh wants discussion to avert border tension with Myanmar: Foreign Secretary On Friday night, a 17-year-old-Rohingya boy named Mohammad Iqbal was killed and five others were injured as a mortar shell fired by the Myanmar army exploded at the Zero Point Rohingya Camp close to the international border in Tombru, Bandarban. The deceased and injured were all residents of the Zero Point Rohingya Camp, known as the camp that is closest to the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, in No Man's Land. Four mortar shells landed in succession at the Rohingya camp around 8 pm. Also read: Home Minister: Will complain to UN over Myanmar’s mortar shelling if needed Earlier, an indigenous youth, named Anganthowai Tanchangya, was grievously injured in a landmine explosion along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Naikhongchhari Upazila of Bandarban on Friday noon. Locals said it is the Myanmar army that has mined the area. Twelve mortar shells have been fired by the Myanmar army on Bangladesh territory so far.

Coast Guard Wednesday detained 31 Indian fishermen for illegally fishing in Bangladesh's territorial waters. Two fishing boats were also seized. Lieutenant Commander Khandaker Munif Taki, media officer of Coast Guard, said they found the Indian boats illegally fishing in Bangladeshi waters – 77 nautical miles west of the international maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal. Coast Guard vessel Mansur Ali conducted the operation. The detainees were handed over to Mongla Police Station Thursday, Munif said. Read: 13 more Indian fishermen held from Bay of Bengal To secure their marine resources in the Bay of Bengal, India and Bangladesh settled their maritime boundary in 2014. However, fishermen from Bangladesh and India continue to commit unlawful forays into each other's sovereign waters, leading to the enforcement of punitive measures against those accused or convicted. Such incidents not only jeopardise the fishers' livelihoods but repeated occurrences also nettle relations 

More than 182 fishermen from the southern coastal district of Barguna and 41 fishing boats, locally called trawlers, carrying them have gone missing in the stormy Bay of Bengal, according to Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG). Amid rough sea and strong winds, the fishermen from Barguna's Patharghata had gone to the south Bay of Bengal to bait and catch fish for their businesses. "We have not found any trace of 41 fishing boats from Patharghata with over 400 fishermen till now," Masum Mia, general secretary of the Barguna Fishing Trawler Owners' Association. Read: 6 Bhola trawlers sink in Bay: 59 missing fishermen rescued Several fishing boats have sunk in the Bay since Thursday, Lieutenant KM Shafiul Kinjal, media officer of Coast Guard South zone, said Sunday. "So far, we have learned about 182 missing fishermen. Six teams of the Coast Guard are conducting search and rescue operations in the deep for the missing fishermen," Shafiul said.

Mongla Coastguards rescued 13 fishermen Monday  who were floating in the Bay of Bengal for two days after the engine of their fishing trawler broke down. The fishermen were rescued around 8 am from the estuary of Bay of Bengal near Shyalar Char in Bagerhat with their trawler after getting a call in national emergency number triple nine, said Lieutenant Commander M Mamunur Rahman, detective officer of Coast Guard. Read: With Hilsa catch declining, Bagerhat fishermen stare at penury On August 12, the fishermen went into bay with the trawler from Bhandaria upazila in Pirojpur and the engine broke down around 9 am the next day, he said. “All of them are fine and they have been sent to Sharankhola station of the Coast Guard. On Tuesday they will be handed over to their respective families there, “ said Lt commander M Mamunur Rahman.

Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) seized contraband current nets worth Tk 105 Crore from Chawkbazar area in the city on Sunday.  Lieutenant Commander Khandaker Munif Taki, a media officer at the BCG headquarters, confirmed the development on Monday afternoon.  He said that BCG Station at Pagla under the BCG Dhaka Zone conducted special simultaneous drives at Chak Mugultoli Al Sahani Market, adjacent to Chawkbazar, from 12:00 pm to 6:30 pm on Sunday.  During the operation led by Station Commander Lieutenant Shams Sadekin, the law enforcers seized 3.50 crore meter banned new current nets worth around Tk 105 crore from two godowns of the said market.  READ: Illegal current nets seized by Coast Guard in N’ganj Dhaka District Fisheries Officer Mostafa Kamal, Senior Upazila Fisheries Officer of Keraniganj, Dhaka, Md. Selim Reza and Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate of Deputy Commissioner's Office, Dhaka, Babli Shabnam were present during the drives.  He further said that the seized current nets were destroyed and set on fire in the presence of Executive Magistrate of Dhaka District Fisheries Officer, Senior Upazila Fisheries Officer and Station Commander Pagla. 

Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) on Wednesday confiscated 6,050kg (6.05 metric tonnes) of shrimps injected with a harmful jelly-like substance to artificially increase their weight from the Khan Jahan Ali Bridge Toll Plaza, Khulna. It also detained two men – Md Abdur Rahman, 35, and Md Faruk Gazi, 20, according to Lieutenant Commander Labeeb Usama Ahmadullah, Coast Guard media officer. Later, representatives of Fish Inspection and Quality Control ( FIQC) Khulna fined Abdur Rahman, Faruk, and three organisations a cumulative Tk1.30 lakh, Labeeb said. Earlier, on information, a team of BCG Station Rupsha under Coast Guard West Zone carried out a raid in Khan Jahan Ali Bridge Toll Plaza under Rupsha Police Station at 7:55pm. During the drive, the law enforcers searched a Chattogram-bound truck that was being loaded with shrimps injected with the jelly-like substance. Later, representatives of FIQC Khulna fined Abdur Rahman and Faruk Tk30,000, Sabbir Transport Tk50,000, Jamuna Jafar Fish Tk25,000 and Monowara Jafar Fish Tk25,000 for their involvement in filling the shrimps with the jelly-like substance. The seized shrimps were later destroyed. Also read: 700 kgs of shrimp injected with jelly like substance seized in Chandpur

A tour boat with 26 people aboard was missing in rough and cold waters off northern Japan on Saturday after issuing a distress call and reporting to be sinking, the coast guard said. No survivors have been found after more than seven hours of an intense search involving six patrol boats and four aircraft. The 19-ton Kazu 1 made an emergency call in early afternoon, saying the ship’s bow had flooded and was beginning to sink and tilt while it was traveling off the western coast of Shiretoko Peninsula in the northern island of Hokkaido, the coast guard said. Also read: UN says boat capsizes off Libya, 35 dead or presumed dead The tour boat has since lost contact, according to the coast guard. It said the boat was carrying 24 passengers, including two children, and two crew. Average April sea temperatures in Shiretoko National Park are just above freezing. An official of the vessel's operator, Shiretoko Pleasure Cruise, said he could not comment as he had to respond to calls from worried families of the passengers. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was attending a two-day water summit in Kumamoto in southern Japan, was canceling his program for Sunday and was set to return to Tokyo to deal with the missing boat, the NHK public broadcaster reported. High waves and strong winds were observed in the area around noon, according to a local fisheries cooperative. Japanese media reports said fishing boats had returned to port before noon because of the bad weather. Also read: At least 7 killed after boat capsizes in Ghana NHK said there was a warning for high waves of up to 3 meters (9 feet) high. According to the operator's website, the tour takes about three hours and offers a scenic view of the western coast of the peninsula, including the nature and animals such as whales, dolphins and the brown bear. The national park is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is famous as the southernmost region to see drifting sea ice.