Vizianagaram Fishermen returned Safely After Months in Bangladesh Custody

After months of uncertainty, nine fishermen from Vizianagaram district have returned safely from Bangladesh , where they were held after inadvertently crossing international waters. Their release was facilitated through joint efforts by the central and state governments . The fishermen arrived at the Visakhapatnam coast late Sunday night, confirmed Vizianagaram SP A.R. Damodhar .

The fishermen Marupalli Chinnappanna , Marupalli Ramesh , Surada Appalakonda , Marupalli Praveen , Surapati Ramu , Appalakonda , and Nakka Ramana , Vasapalli Seetayya , Mailapalli Appanna had set out from Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbor on October 13 last year for a routine fishing expedition.

While fishing aboard the mechanized vessel INDAP-V5-MM-75 , the crew encountered adverse weather conditions and navigational errors . Early on October 22 , around 2 a.m. , they accidentally crossed into Bangladesh territorial waters and were taken into custody by the Bangladesh Coast Guard .

The incident came to the attention of Indian authorities through reports from nearby fishing vessels. Families of the fishermen were anxious, prompting immediate intervention by the Ministry of External Affairs and the state government . Continuous diplomatic negotiations with Bangladesh officials eventually led to their release.

After completing all formalities and verification processes , the Bangladesh government cleared their release on January 27 . The fishermen departed by sea the following day and reached Visakhapatnam coast late Sunday night. They waited offshore overnight and finally landed safely on Monday morning. At the Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbor , they were welcomed by local Coast Guard and Vizianagaram police officials , underwent basic medical check-ups , and were reunited with their families.

Officials advised fishermen to exercise extreme caution near international boundaries and make full use of modern navigation technologies to avoid similar incidents in the future.

The safe return of the fishermen has brought relief and celebration to their villages in Vizianagaram district . Their families expressed gratitude to the central and state governments for their assistance in this complex process.