Nine from Visakhapatnam, 14 from West Bengal, freed from Bagerhat Jail
Visakhapatnam: The Bangladesh government on Tuesday released 23 Indian fishermen, including nine from Visakhapatnam district and 14 from West Bengal, from Bagerhat Jail.
Deputy Secretary of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Home Affairs, Mohamed Afiz Al Asad, was present during the release. Officials from the Indian High Commission, the ministries of home affairs and external affairs, police personnel and an executive magistrate from the district administration also attended the handover.
After their release, the fishermen were escorted under security by the Bangladesh Coast Guard to Mongla Port. They are expected to be handed over to the Indian Coast Guard at the midpoint of the India–Bangladesh maritime boundary on Thursday.
Bagerhat Jail superintendent Mohammed Mostafa Kamal said a local court acquitted all 23 fishermen on January 20. Subsequently, on January 25, the Bangladesh Ministry of Home Affairs issued orders for their repatriation, following which they were released from jail.
The nine fishermen from Visakhapatnam were apprehended by the Bangladesh Coast Guard after their fishing boat allegedly drifted into Bangladeshi waters due to engine failure. They had set sail from Visakhapatnam fishing harbour on October 13, 2025, and were detained on October 21.
Soon after their release, the fishermen spoke to their families in Visakhapatnam, said East Coast Mechanised Boat Owners Association of India president Vasupalli Janakiram, who played a key role in pursuing their release.
The release is part of a reciprocal prisoner exchange programme. The Indian government is expected to release 13 Bangladeshi fishermen who were arrested by coastal security police in Srikakulam district in November 2025 for allegedly entering Indian waters near the Mosavanipeta coast.
Earlier, 47 Indian fishermen were released from the same jail and returned home on December 7, 2025.
