Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP) has handed over 9 Bangladeshi fishermen caught from the Bay of Bengal near St. Martin's Island to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Wednesday.
A flag meeting between BGB and BGP was held in Maungdaw town of Myarmar on Wednesday afternoon. Teknaf 2 BGB captain Lt. Colonel Mohammad Faisal Hasan Khan confirmed that they were returned after the meeting.
He said a team led by him left Teknaf for Myarmar on Wednesday morning. Upon reaching there, discussions were held between the two sides. He himself led the 10-membered team of Bangladesh in the meeting. On the other hand, the 7-member delegation of Myanmar was led by Lt. Colonel Xu Ling Aung, Commander of BGP's 4th Branch.
BGP members held those 9 Bangladeshi fishermen along with a boat owned by Mohammad Amin of Gholapara area under Shah Pari Island of Teknaf, 15 days ago on November 10 at 3pm while they were fishing at the estuary of Naf River and Bay of Bengal.
After the incident, BGB sent more than one letter asking for the safe return of those fishermen. In the end BGP was forced to return the fishermen. Therefore, the flag meeting was held.
After the meeting those 9 fishermen were brought to Bangladesh at noon. The fishermen were identified as Nurul Alam, Ismail Prakash Hossain, Md. Elias, Md. Yunus, Mohammad Alam Kalu, Saiful, Salim Ullah, Nur Kamal and Lalu Mia. The returned fishermen have been placed under home quarantine.
