BD releases 92 Myanmar fishermen

Bangladesh has pardoned 92 Myanmar fishermen captured in Bangladesh territorial water in December 2015 as a friendly gesture.

The government hoped that this gesture will add to the existing goodwill among the two countries and their people in addition to lessening sufferings of persons in such irregular situations, according to a message received here from Bangladesh Embassy in Yangon on Thursday.

Myanmar authorities have also released 22 Bangladesh nationals under pardon in August 2015 and July 2016.

The 92 Myanmar fishermen had entered the Bangladesh waters in 12 fishing boats and were captured by Bangladesh authorities for illegal entry.

The Myanmar Embassy in Dhaka was notified about the arrest in due course.

Bangladesh received a formal request for their clemency through Myanmar embassy in Dhaka on 23 June 2016 on the ground that these fishermen entered Bangladesh waters inadvertently for not having requisite equipment like Global Positioning System (GPS).

In the spirit of good neighbourliness and in accordance with the spirit and provisions of ‘1980 Border Arrangement’ with Myanmar, Bangladesh authorities expedited granting clemency to them within a few weeks of the request made.

The Myanmar embassy in Dhaka has been advised to coordinate with the authorities concerned in Bangladesh for their return to Myanmar at an early date.

Besides clemency, the Border Agreement of 1980 provides for ground rules and procedures to respond to situations of undetected illegal crossing and inadvertent crossing of the international border.