Overview
- Both governments completed a coordinated handover on December 9 returning 47 Indian and 38 Bangladeshi fishermen, along with an operable vessel.
- The Ministry of External Affairs said the fishermen were detained after inadvertently crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line while fishing.
- The exchange was presented as a mutually arranged effort focused on the welfare of fishing communities on both sides.
- The operation builds on a January 5 handover that repatriated 95 Indian fishermen and 90 Bangladeshi fishermen following a coast-guard facilitated transfer at sea.
- India emphasized that it places the highest importance on the safety, security and welfare of its fishermen and continues efforts to secure releases from Bangladesh custody.