Thirty-four fishermen from Bengal, most of whom hail from Kakdwip in South 24-Parganas, were detained along with their two fishing boats by the Bangladesh Coast Guard early on Monday morning for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

The detention triggered fears that the fishermen would face harassment under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in the neighbouring country.

In October last year, 95 Indian fishermen, along with six trawlers, had been detained and imprisoned by Bangladesh authorities. They were released after spending nearly three months in a Bangladeshi prison.

"Marginal crossings of the maritime boundary used to be a common occurrence for both Bangladeshi and Indian fishermen. During the Sheikh Hasina regime, such incidents were resolved amicably if there was no criminal intent. Both Indian and Bangladeshi authorities showed leniency toward the poor fishermen. However, what we witnessed last October under Muhammad Yunus's rule was horrifying. So we are genuinely worried about these fishermen until they return home," said Satinath Patra, secretary of the Sunderbans Samudrik Matshyajibi Shramik Union.

The latest group of 34 fishermen, aboard two boats — FB-Jhar 2 and FB-Mangalchandi 38 — allegedly crossed the IMBL around midnight on July 13.

Bangladeshi Coast Guard officials, conducting aerial surveillance with a helicopter, detected and detained both the boats. Family members said they were informed that the fishermen had been arrested in Bangladesh and a legal process had begun against them.

“My elder brother, Jhantu Das, 44, was among the 17 fishermen on the Jhar 2 boat. We are scared, recalling last year’s incidents where members of our community were subjected to police brutality in the neighbouring country. We’ve already contacted local authorities and demand the immediate release of all those detained,” said Tapas Das, who claimed that at least six of the detained fishermen are his relatives.

Tapas said one of the six trawlers detained in October last year belonged to their family.

“However, my elder brother, who was on the boat this time, was not among those detained previously,” he added.

South 24-Parganas district magistrate Sumit Gupta said: “We have already informed the state administration about the development. They will deal with the matter accordingly.”

Many of the fishermen who had been released from the Bangladesh jail following a prolonged legal battle alleged physical assault by the Bangladesh Coast Guard.

“They broke at least four bamboo sticks on us,” said Abdul Latif, one of the 95 fishermen who returned to India on January 6. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who met the released fishermen at Sagar Island, expressed serious concerns over the alleged torture of the fishermen

The 95 fishermen were released as part of a reciprocal repatriation, during which Indian authorities also released 90 Bangladeshi fishermen detained on similar charges. The fishing community believes that the release would have been further delayed if there hadn't been a reciprocal arrangement.

Since the ouster of the Hasina government, bilateral relations between the neighbouring countries have deteriorated, especially amid the political unrest under the new regime led by Yunus.