Dhaka, Sept 3 (Agency) The Coast Guard ship ‘Swadhin Bangla’ carried out the operation in the waters 18 nautical miles northwest of Mongla Fairway Boy. The fishermen were fishing with the Indian trawler ‘Pita Mata Ashirbad-12’. The trawler was also seized. Lieutenant Commander Amirul Haque, a media officer at the Coast Guard headquarters, made the announcement at noon on Friday.
He said Coast Guard ships patrolling the waters of independent Bengal saw a foreign fishing trawler fishing illegally in Bangladeshi waters. When the trawler sensed the presence of the Coast Guard and tried to flee, the patrol ship chased them. At one stage, 13 fishermen, including trawlers, were detained from the waters of Bangladesh, 18 nautical miles northwest of Mongla Fairway Boy. Coastguard officials say round-the-clock patrols have been stepped up in the Coastguard area to control drugs, conserve forest resources, stop smuggling and protect fisheries. Such regular drives will continue in the future too.