United News of Bangladesh

Twenty three Indian fishermen were released from Bagerhat district jail on Tuesday following a court order. Jail authorities handed them over to the Bangladesh Coast Guard around 11:00 am. Officials from the Indian High Commission, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, police, and an executive magistrate from the district administration were present at the time. After the handover, Coast Guard members escorted the fishermen to Mongla under security. They are expected to be handed over to the Indian Coast Guard at the midpoint of the Bangladesh-India maritime boundary on Thursday. The fishermen were arrested in two phases in October, 2025 for illegally entering Bangladesh waters and fishing there. Navy members detained 14 fishermen along with one trawler in one incident and other 9 fishermen with another trawler in a separate incident. Read More: Bangladesh, India repatriate fishermen released from custody Later, cases were filed against them under the Marine Fisheries Act and they were sent to the jail. Bagerhat Jail Superintendent Md Mostafa Kamal said on January 20 this year a Bagerhat court acquitted all 23 Indian fishermen of the charges. Later, on January 25, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order for their repatriation and the fishermen were released from jail following the order, he said. Coast Guard Mongla West Zone Lieutenant Commander Selim Biswas said Coast Guard members will depart from Mongla by sea with the fishermen and they will be handed over to the Indian Coast Guard at the midpoint of the Bangladesh–India maritime boundary on Thursday. Earlier, 47 Indian fishermen were released from the same jail and returned home on December 7, 2025.

A total of 64 Indian fishermen, who were imprisoned in Bagerhat district jail for illegally fishing in Bangladeshi waters, have been released. The fishermen were handed over to the Coast Guard and police officials on Thursday. According to Bagerhat District Jail Superintendent Shankar Kumar Majumder, 48 of the fishermen were arrested on October 17, 2024 while the remaining were arrested on November 20, 2024 for fishing illegally in Bangladeshi territory. They were handed over to the Mongla police station, and cases were filed against them under the Marine Fisheries Act. Bangladesh, India to exchange detained fishermen Sunday: Foreign Adviser On December 30 last year, Bagerhat Senior Judicial Magistrate Court Judge Kamrul Azad discharged the 64 fishermen from the case, leading to their release order from the Ministry of Home Affairs on December 31. Following the directive, the fishermen were released from the district jail today. A Coast Guard official from Mongla Zone said that the fishermen were transferred to the Coast Guard base in Mongla under tight security. They will be handed over to the Indian authorities tomorrow as per the arrangements.

A Bagerhat court on Saturday sent 13  Indian fishermen to jail in a case filed against them for intruding into Bangladeshi waters that are part of its Exclusive Economic Zone, and carrying on for commercial fishing. The court of Bagerhat Judicial Magistrate Shawon Hossain gave the  order after the accused were produced before it on Saturday afternoon. Bagerhat court inspector Dilip Kumar Sarkar confirmed the development to UNB. Read: 13 more Indian fishermen held from Bay of Bengal Earlier on Thursday, a  patrol vessel of Coast Guard spotted foreign trawler 'Pita Matar Ashirbad': illegally fishing within Bangladesh's maritime boundary. Sensing their presence, the fishermen tried to flee but the CG detained them along with the trawler, just 17 nautical miles southwest of Mongla Fairway Buoy. The seized trawler and the detainees were handed over to Mongla Police Station, said Bangladesh Coast Guard Media Officer Lt Commander Amirul Haque. When contacted, the OC of Mongla (OC)  police station Monirul Islam said a case was filed against the 13 Indian fishermen on behalf of the Coast Guard. Read: 13 Indian fishermen detained from Bay An almost identical incident occurred last month, when the Coast Guard's inshore patrol vessel 'Sonar Bangla' spotted a foreign trawler, this time the 'Shornotara' illegally fishing in Bangladeshi waters and  detained 13 Indian fishermen. A case was filed against them and  the court of Bagerhat Chief Judicial Magistrate sent 11 of them to jail, while two were sent  to Jessore Juvenile Correctional Institution as they were minors.

Sixty three Indian fishermen arrested for illegal entry into Bangladesh maritime boundary in October last, were freed from jail here on Wednesday following a court order.

Members of Bangladesh Navy have detained 26 Indian fishermen along with two fishing boats from the Fairway Buoy area of the Bay of Bengal for illegally fishing inside the Bangladesh water territory.