Cox’s Bazar Correspondent
The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has repatriated 24 fishermen who were detained at different times by the Myanmar rebel group Arakan Army in the Naf River and the Bay of Bengal. Of them, 18 are Bangladeshis and six are Rohingya from different camps.
As part of BGB’s prolonged efforts, a BGB delegation went to the zero line of the Naf River on Wednesday morning with the consent of the Arakan Army. The Arakan Army then handed over the 24 fishermen, who were subsequently brought back to the Teknaf jetty in Cox’s Bazar.
The matter was confirmed by Lt Col Md Hanifur Rahman Bhuiyan, commanding officer of BGB’s Teknaf-based 2 Battalion.
He said that since 2025, a number of Bangladeshi fishermen who went to the Bay of Bengal for fishing had inadvertently crossed Bangladesh’s maritime boundary and entered Myanmar waters. The Arakan Army subsequently detained them and kept them at locations under its control inside Myanmar or in prisons after sentencing them.
“In view of the circumstances, BGB has prioritised humanitarian considerations and made significant progress in securing the gradual repatriation of the detained fishermen through its initiatives,” he said.
The latest repatriation is part of that process, he added.
The BGB commander said efforts were under way to verify the identities of the returnees through local upazila representatives and law enforcement agencies. Arrangements are also being made to hand them over to their families.
According to BGB data, between January 1, 2025 and August 19, 2026, the Arakan Army detained 434 fishermen, including 222 Bangladeshis and 212 Rohingya.
Of them, 348 had been repatriated by Wednesday, August 19, including 157 Bangladeshis and 191 Rohingya.
A total of 86 fishermen remain in the custody of the Arakan Army, including 65 Bangladeshis and 21 Rohingya. #EK
