Staff Correspondent

In a swift operation, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) rescued 27 Bangladeshi fishermen on Thursday who were stranded on their fishing boat at sea.

On Thursday around 11:30am, the Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Amogh, during a patrol at the Indo-Bangladesh International Maritime Border Line (IMBL), sighted a Bangladeshi fishing boat (BFB) Sagar II adrift inside Indian waters.

The ICG ship launched a boarding team to investigate. During the investigation, it was revealed that the boat had experienced a steering gear breakdown for the last two days and had been adrift since then, which led to the boat drifting inside Indian waters.

The Bangladeshi Fishing Boat had 27 crew/fishermen onboard, according to a press release from the Press Information Bureau (PIB) of India.

The Indian Coast Guard technical team attempted to identify and rectify the defect, but it was observed that the rudder of the boat was completely damaged and could not be repaired at sea.

As the sea state and weather conditions were conducive, it was decided that the distressed boat would be towed to the Indo-Bangladesh IMBL and handed over to another Bangladeshi fishing boat operating across the International Maritime Border Line or to a Bangladesh Coast Guard Ship, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indian Coast Guard and the Bangladesh Coast Guard.

In the meantime, the Indian Coast Guard Regional Headquarters at Kolkata established communication with the Bangladesh Coast Guard and informed them about the incident and the plan of action.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) Ship Kamaruzzaman was deployed by the BCG for towing the Bangladesh Fishing Boat.

The BCG Ship Kamaruzzaman arrived near the International Maritime Border Line (IMBL) on 4 April evening. ICGS Amogh handed over the 27 Bangladeshi fishermen along with their boat to BCG ship Kamaruzzaman.

The operation reflects the commitment of the Indian Coast Guard towards safeguarding precious lives at sea against all odds. Such successful Search and Rescue operations will not only strengthen the regional SAR structure but also enhance international cooperation with neighbouring countries.

This is in keeping with the motto of the Indian Coast Guard “VAYAM RAKSHAMAH,” which means “WE PROTECT,” added the PIB release.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Coastguard stated that the Bangladeshi fishing boat FV Sagor-2, carrying 27 fishermen, entered into Indian maritime territory after the boat’s engine malfunctioned. The Indian Coast Guard quickly responded to the situation and rescued the fishing boat along with the 27 fishermen.

The Indian Coast Guard informed the Bangladesh Coastguard, and later they handed over the fishing boat along with the 27 rescued fishermen at the Indo-Bangladesh International Maritime Border Line through bilateral understanding.

The Bangladesh Coastguard then handed over the fishing boat and the 27 rescued fishermen to its owner at Mongla fairway on Friday.