24 Fishermen Released by Arakan Army Return to Bangladesh

Twenty-four fishermen, comprising 18 Bangladeshi nationals and six Rohingyas, have been released by the Arakan Army and have returned to Bangladesh. The group was received by a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) delegation at the zero line of the Naf River and brought to the Teknaf jetty.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Hanifur Rahman Bhuiyan, commanding officer of BGB-2 Teknaf Battalion, the fishermen were detained by the Arakan Army in Myanmar. They had reportedly crossed into Myanmar's territorial waters accidentally while fishing in the Bay of Bengal between 2025 and 2026. The BGB initiated efforts to facilitate their repatriation, leading to the return of the 24 fishermen.

One of the released fishermen, Mohammad Shafiq from Koanchharipara in Sabrang union, recounted his ordeal. He stated that he and five others were held captive for approximately nine months. During their captivity, they were allegedly forced to work as laborers for about seven hours daily and received only one meal of rice per day. Shafiq also reported that they were severely beaten if they refused to work.

The BGB's initiative aimed to secure the gradual repatriation of the detained fishermen, with this group's return being a part of that ongoing process.

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We had to work as labourers for around seven hours daily and were given only one rice meal a day. If we refused to work, we were severely beaten.