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The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has brought back 24 fishermen who were detained by the Arakan Army (AA) after inadvertently entering Myanmar’s territorial waters while fishing in the Bay of Bengal.
Of the 24 fishermen, 18 are Bangladeshi nationals and six are displaced Rohingya from Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
A BGB delegation formally received the fishermen from the Arakan Army at the zero line of the Naf River on Wednesday afternoon before taking them to the Teknaf jetty.
Lt Col Md Hanifur Rahman Bhuiyan, commander of Teknaf Battalion (2 BGB), confirmed the development.
He said fishermen from several fishing boats had unintentionally crossed into Myanmar’s waters while fishing in the Bay of Bengal at different times between 2025 and 2026. The Arakan Army subsequently detained them and held them in areas under its control or in detention facilities inside Myanmar.
The BGB initiated communication and coordination with relevant Myanmar authorities and other parties to facilitate the fishermen’s return on humanitarian grounds.
As part of the process, arrangements for their repatriation were made in phases. On Wednesday, the BGB formally received all 24 fishermen at the Naf River zero line and brought them to Teknaf.
Local administration officials and law enforcement agencies are now verifying their identities. Once the verification process is completed, the fishermen will be handed over to their families, according to the BGB.
Lt Col Hanifur said protecting the lives and property of the people, alongside safeguarding the border, is a key responsibility of the BGB.
He said the fishermen could be brought home through professionalism, sincerity and effective coordination in addressing the humanitarian situation.
The BGB is continuing efforts to safely repatriate the remaining fishermen still detained by the Arakan Army, he added.