Bangladesh and India on Tuesday completed the mutual repatriation of 32 Bangladeshi and 47 Indian fishermen detained for maritime boundary violations.
The handover took place in the Bay of Bengal along the international maritime line, where the Bangladesh Coast Guard received 32 Bangladeshi fishermen from the Indian Coast Guard and formally returned 47 Indian fishermen, said a Foreign Ministry's press release here.
During the coordinated operation, the Indian Coast Guard also returned a Bangladesh-owned fishing boat, while the Bangladesh Coast Guard handed back three Indian-owned fishing vessels.
Separately, six Bangladeshi fishermen detained in Meghalaya are expected to be repatriated later on Tuesday through Sherpur's Nakugaon Land Port under the supervision of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
Both BGB and India's Border Security Force (BSF) are working to facilitate the return.
The release said that the repatriation process was completed through joint efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, the Ministry of Shipping, the Bangladesh Coast Guard, the BGB, the Bangladesh Police, the local administration and other relevant agencies.
