Mamata Banerjee To Honour 95 Fishermen Released By Bangladeshi On Monday

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to honour 95 fishermen from the state who were recently freed from a Bangladeshi prison. This event will take place on Monday during her visit to Sagar Island in the South 24 Parganas district, where she will also review preparations for the annual Gangasagar Mela.

The fishermen were detained between October and November for accidentally entering Bangladeshi waters. An official mentioned that most of these fishermen hail from Kakdwip, with some from Namkhana in the same district. The district administration has made all necessary arrangements, and a stage has been prepared near the helipad on Sagar Island for the event.

Fishermen Exchange Programme

The release of these fishermen was part of a reciprocal agreement announced last Thursday. Bangladesh returned 95 Indian fishermen, while India released 90 Bangladeshi fishermen. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) highlighted that this exchange was driven by humanitarian and livelihood concerns affecting fishing communities on both sides.

In recent months, several Indian fishermen have been apprehended by Bangladeshi authorities after inadvertently crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line into Bangladesh's waters. The MEA had previously stated that mutual exchanges of fishermen and their vessels were being arranged to address these issues.

Compensation Possibilities

There is a strong likelihood that Chief Minister Banerjee will provide some form of compensation to the fishermen during the felicitation ceremony. An official remarked, "The chief minister will felicitate the fishermen who have been released by the Bangladesh government." This gesture aims to support those affected by such incidents.

The handover process involved prisons transferring custody of the fishermen to coast guards from each country for exchange. Additionally, two Bangladeshi fishing vessels held in India and six Indian boats detained in Bangladesh were also scheduled for exchange between their respective Coast Guards.