16 missing Bangladesh fishermen in Indian jail

Sixteen fishermen who went missing in the Bay on September 12 are now in an Indian jail.

Law enforcers from Kakdweep Police Station under 24 Parganas district arrested them on charge of intrusion and later sent them to jail.

The fishermen are Kuddus Mridha, 45, Al-amin, 45, Saiful Howlader, 25, Nasir Howlader, 27, Bilal Fakir, 38, Rakibul Khan, 37, Belal Sikder, 27, Monir Mridha, 28, Russel Mridha, 19, Majedee Hasan, 26, of Najibpur village; Md. Polash, 30, Anwar Hossain, 45, of Khajura village; Elias Sikder, 29, Monir Hossain, 26, and Saiful Islam, 29, of Noorpur village under Kalapara upazila in the district; and Israfil, 19, of Nurabad village under Charfashion upazila of Bhola district. Name of the other trawler could not be known.

Ansar Uddin Mollah, president of Kuakata-Alipur Fishermen's Cooperative Association, said the fishermen went missing after the engine of their fishing trawler went out of order.

Md Abul Kasem, owner of the trawler, said the fishermen sailed on September 12 from Alipur fish landing station and went missing the same day. As the engine of their boat went out of order, it drifted into Indian maritime boundary.

"I filed a general diary with Kalapara police station in this regard as the Indian authorities informed me about the matter over my cellphone," he said.

Ansar Uddin Mollah said the president of West Bengal United Fishermen's Association informed him about the matter.

"After hearing the news, the families of the missing fishermen have been urging us to take steps to bring them back from Indian jail as soon as possible," he added.

Contacted, Md Moniruzzaman, officer-in-charge (Inquiry) of Kalapara Police Station, said the police have informed the matter to the higher authorities to take necessary steps in this regard.