At least 70 Bangladeshi fishermen who had been detained at different times from the Naf River and the Bay of Bengal have been handed back by the Arakan Army, an armed group based in Myanmar.

On Monday (February 16) afternoon, a delegation of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) set out from Jaliapara Transit Ghat in Teknaf towards the zero line of the Naf River to receive the fishermen. They were later brought back through the BGB.

Colonel Mohiuddin Ahmed, commander of the BGB’s Ramu Sector, said the Arakan Army had agreed to return at least 70 fishermen who had been detained at various times. The handover took place at the zero line of the Naf River on Monday afternoon, he confirmed.