38 fishermen held in India for 11 months back home

12 September 2009, 17:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Thirty-eight Bangladeshi fishermen, who have been languishing in an Indian jail for 11 months, were released on Friday. Indian Border Security Force (BSF) handed over the fishermen to Bangladesh Rifles through Benapole check post at noon. Of the fishermen, 16 reached their respective homes in Barguna on Friday. They are Abul Kalam, Al Amin, Halim, Siraj, Quayyum, Shahin, Bachchu, Sagir, Miraj, Zakir, Milon, Shahid, Anwar, Mostafa, yunus and Badal. The Indian navy and coastguards arrested 40 fishermen as they reached Indian maritime boundary after being hit by a cyclonic storm in the Bay in November 2008. The detained fishermen were first sent to a police station under North 24 Parganas of West Bengal. They were later produced in a court that sent them to a jail. Two of the fishermen--Alamgir Hossain and Mohammad Ali--were sentenced to six months' imprisonment for illegal entry into the Indian territory, while the rest acquitted of the charge. Following acquittal of 38 fishermen, the Indian and Bangladesh sides exchanged letters on return of the fishermen. But the matter remained unresolved for two months after the judgment of the case, said Jhangir Hossain, owner of fishing trawler FB Shahjahan. The matter was, however, resolved and the Indian authorities handed them over to Bangladesh border guards.