COX’S BAZAR — The Indian coast guard has detained a fishing trawler from Kutubdia in Cox’s Bazar with 28 fishermen and crew aboard in the Bay of Bengal, the vessel’s owner and the fishermen’s families said.
Relatives learned of the detentions Thursday (November 19) night.
The trawler had set out the night of November 13 from the Molomchar area of Kutubdia upazila with 28 crew members and lost control in heavy fog, drifting into Indian waters, the families said. They were detained at that point.
Nazrul Islam, owner of the F.B. Adib-2 trawler from the Nazar Ali Matbar Para area of Kaiyarbil Union in Kutubdia, confirmed the incident.
The detained fishermen, by union, are: from Dakshin Dhurung Union — Jasim Uddin, Nurul Bashar, Mohammad Shahin, Tarek Muhammad Nawshad, Atiqur Rahman, Shahab Uddin, Mohammad Jasim Uddin, Mamunur Rashid, Mohammad Rakib, Mohammad Shahidullah, Nurul Islam, Jobaidul Haq and Ali Akbar; from Deil Union — Zakir Alam, Jahangir Alam, Mohammad Tuhin Alam, Mohammad Mojahed, Shahedul Islam and Mohammad Azizur Rahman; from Uttar Dhurung Union — Hafizur Rahman; from Lemshikhali — Abul Bashar, Mohammad Najem Uddin, Enamul Haque, Mohammad Sharif and Rabiul Hassan; and from Kaiyarbil Union — Omar Faruk, Mohammad Rashedul Islam, Akter Hossain and Nazrul Islam.
The detained crew are currently being held at the Narayanpur Kandib police station in India, sources from the fishermen’s families said.
“The Indian coast guard took away 28 crew members. The matter has been formally reported to Kutubdia police station,” trawler owner Nazrul Islam said.
Md. Joynal Abedin, president of the Kutubdia upazila Fishermen’s Association, said the trawler had set out from the Molomchar area of Kutubdia upazila on the morning of Thursday (November 13). Family members learned Thursday night that the 28 crew had been detained by the Indian coast guard. He called on the government to help secure the release of the detained fishermen and the trawler.
Mohammad Arman Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kutubdia police station, said the matter had been logged in the station’s general diary. Further legal steps were being taken, he said.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report