Kolkata, January 19: The Indian Coast Guard arrested 24 Bangladeshi fishermen for violating the international maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. All of them were later handed over to the coastal branch of the West Bengal Police.
The Eastern Command Headquarters of the Indian Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday that during patrolling early Monday, a Coast Guard vessel spotted a Bangladeshi fishing trawler within Indian waters. Subsequently, the Coast Guard vessel chased the trawler and apprehended it within Indian waters. After preliminary questioning, the fishermen were handed over to the Fraserganj Coastal Police Station on Monday afternoon.
During questioning, the fishermen claimed that they inadvertently entered Indian waters due to dense fog. However, police sources say further investigations are underway to determine whether the intrusion was accidental or had some other motive. The arrested fishermen were unable to produce any valid identity documents.
A Coast Guard spokesperson stated that the apprehended fishermen did not enter Indian waters by mistake, but rather frequently visit them. He added that local patrolling teams confirmed that these fishermen often intruded upon finding the coastal area unoccupied. Following repeated complaints, they were monitored and have now been arrested.
A district police officer stated, “All of them have been arrested for illegally violating the international maritime border and entering Indian waters. They will be produced in the district court today (Tuesday).”
It is worth noting that in recent months, the Indian Coast Guard has detained over 100 Bangladeshi fishermen for illegally entering Indian waters. Some of them were later released, while the cases of others are being heard in the Kakdwip court in South 24 Parganas district.
Earlier, on December 18, 2025, 35 Bangladeshi fishermen were arrested and their two trawlers were seized. On December 15, 2025, 11 fishermen narrowly escaped and five others went missing when a Bangladeshi naval vessel collided with a Kakdwip trawler while entering Indian waters. The sunken trawler was brought to Moynapada Ghat in Kakdwip on Monday.
In light of the political turmoil in Bangladesh since last year, surveillance and vigilance have been beefed up by the Indian Coast Guard and the coastal unit of the state police along the international maritime border of West Bengal, including South 24 Parganas district