India, Bangladesh exchange detained fishermen

Several fishing boats at Rameswaram. File | Photo: L. Balachandar/The Hindu.

India and Bangladesh on Sunday (January 5, 2025) exchanged fishermen who were detained by both sides over the past three months. Bangladesh Coast Guard received 90 Bangladeshi fishermen, and the Indian Coast Guard received 95 Indian fishermen.

India returned two fishing vessels belonging to Bangladesh and six Indian fishing vessels were returned by Bangladesh as part of the exchange held near the western International Maritime Boundary Line. The process was overseen by officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other law enforcement agencies of Bangladesh.

Earlier this week, the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal dismissed suggestions that the detention of fishermen by both countries was a reflection of the negative turn in the Indo-Bangladesh relationship. The detention of fishermen by both sides and the exchange of Sunday (January 5, 2025) has drawn attention to the fact that the detentions took place despite India and Bangladesh agreeing on Maritime Boundary in 2014.