India takes 78 detained Bangladeshi sailors to Paradip Port

The sailors were detained for fishing in Indian waters, the Indian Coast Guard said in a Facebook post

The Indian Coast Guard has taken 78 sailors detained from two Bangladesh fishing vessels near the maritime boundary between the neighbouring countries to the Paradip Port area.

The owners of the fishing vessels said they spoke to the sailors on Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) posted photos of the two vessels carrying the Bangladeshi sailors on their verified Facebook page.

The two boats were seized and their occupants detained for fishing in Indian waters, the ICG said. They have been taken to Paradip to face legal consequences, it added.

The boats -- FV Meghna-5 and FV Laila-2 -- were seized in the Hiron Point area of Khulna on Monday afternoon, according to the vessel owners and the Department of Shipping.

FV Meghna-5 is owned by Chattogram-based C&A Agro Ltd and FV Laila-2 by SR Fishing.

On Wednesday, Sumon Sen, executive director of C&A Agro, told bdnews24.com that the boats were taken to Paradip in Odisha.

He said the owners spoke to the sailors on the fishing vessels over satellite phone in the morning. The sailors said they would go to shore in that area.

Both the FV Meghna-5 and FV Laila-2 were operating in the deep-sea fishing zone near Khulna's Hiron Point. FV Meghna-5 was carrying 37 crew members and fishermen, while FV Laila-2 had 41. Earlier on Tuesday, it was reported that Laila-2 had 42 sailors but one crew member fell sick and did not board.

The owners informed different ministries and the Bangladesh Coast Guard that the ICG had detained the vessels.

“The vessels were seized near the Indian maritime border. The Coast Guard and other government bodies are working with Indian authorities to address the situation. We are closely monitoring developments,” said Mohammad Maksud Alam, director general of the Department of Shipping.