Fresh unrest and anti-India activities in Bangladesh have forced fishermen in coastal Bengal to impose a ban on fishing by themselves in the bordering waters of the neighbouring country.

The issue follows an incident on December 14, when a trawler belonging to the Bangladesh Navy allegedly intruded into Indian waters and rammed into an Indian fishing trawler, resulting in the deaths of two fishermen. Three others are missing.

The fishermen’s community on Friday evening organised a protest rally at Kakdwip and announced that no trawler would go fishing near the India–Bangladesh Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), fearing that anti-India activities in the neighbouring country could escalate.

“What happened to one of our trawlers was unprecedented and frightening. The Bangladesh Navy trawler not only hit our fishing boat but also threw spears to kill our fishermen. Given the recent developments, we have decided not to go near the IMBL to catch fish,” said Satinath Patra, secretary of the Sundarbans Samudrik Matshyojibi Shramik Union, an association of fishermen from South 24-Parganas.

“The treatment our fishermen recently faced is a result of growing anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh. The decision to stop fishing near the IMBL will lead to financial losses. However, our main priority right now is to save the lives of poor fishermen,” he added.

Indian fishermen usually go near the IMBL because it is close to the Swatch of No Ground (SoNG), a natural sanctuary home to various export-quality fish such as eels, white prawns and pomfrets. The area also yields a good catch of hilsa, during the
rainy season.

Excluding this location from fishing routes will therefore lead to financial losses for the fishermen.

According to fishermen, the fishing boat Paromita-11 was catching fish near the IMBL but within Indian territory on December 14 when a trawler belonging to the Bangladesh Navy allegedly targeted them.

“We did not cross the IMBL, but suddenly, the Navy personnel started throwing stones, spears and bamboo sticks with knives at us. One of our colleagues was injured and fell into the water. Though he is missing, we are sure he is no more,” said Rajib Das, a fisherman from Paromita-11 who survived the attack after being rescued by fishermen from another trawler.

Rajib said that such an act by a government agency of the neighbouring country was unprecedented in his 15-year career in sea-fishing.

“If they had any objection, they could have arrested us. How can they kill us like goons? In this situation, we cannot go fishing under the threat to our lives,” he added.

Sources said that after learning about the incident, officials of the Indian Coast Guard reached the IMBL and recovered the bodies of two fishermen, Sanjib Das and Ranjan Das.

However, despite the search operation, three fishermen who went missing because the Paromita-11 fishing boat drowned in the sea are yet to be traced.

During the protest in Kakdwip, fishermen who survived the attack described the cruelty they faced at the hands of Bangladeshi authorities.

“This is a new phenomenon that has emerged after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina last year. In such a situation, we cannot risk our lives. Those responsible for the deadly attack on our fishermen must face consequences. We were shocked when we heard that the Bangladesh government denied the charges related to the December 14 attack,” said Patra, who leads the fishermen’s wing in South 24-Parganas.

Sources further said that the Indian Coast Guard had recently arrested around 35 Bangladeshi fishermen who allegedly crossed the IMBL with two trawlers. Following the unrest in the neighbouring country, the Indian Coast Guard and Sundarbans police districts have continued heightened vigilance in the waters of the Bay of Bengal.