Coast Guard Media Officer Lieutenant Rafid-as-Sami gave this information on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 12, 2025.He said, based on secret information, it was learned that the work of making banned ‘artisanal trawling equipment’ for fishing boats was going on in a godown in Sheikherkhil area under Banshkhali police station of Chittagong.

Based on the information received, a joint operation was conducted in the area at 12:30 midnight, Tuesday, August 12, 2025, by the Coast Guard Contingent Bashkhali and the army. During the operation, 7 illegal trawling nets worth about 2.5 million taka, 34 pieces of yaba worth 17 thousand taka, 10 grams of marijuana worth 300 taka and 73 thousand 230 taka in cash were seized along with 3 Bangladeshi artisans and 1 Indian national, the mastermind of installing the banned trawling equipment, during a search in a godown.

The arrested persons are Amal Chandra (45) from Barguna, Nathan Biswas (60) from Mongla and Akash Biswas (35) from Satkhira district. Pandit Biswas (38) is said to be a resident of South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India.

Based on information provided by the detained Indian national, an Indian passport belonging to the owner of the godown, Mannan Mia, was searched and recovered.

Initial interrogation revealed that the arrested Pandit Biswas had been installing banned artisanal trawling equipment on fishing boats in Bangladesh for a long time. The person had been regularly traveling to Bangladesh through Bhomra land port in Satkhira since October 19, 2023. He last entered Bangladesh through Bhomra land port in Satkhira on May 2, 2025 and has been installing banned trawling equipment on various fishing boats, first in Patharghata in Barguna district and later in Bashkhali in Chittagong since July 25, 2025. Detailed investigation into his case is ongoing.

It is noteworthy that wooden fishing boats are being illegally converted into mechanical ‘trawlers’ by installing trawling equipment and small nets on them. As a result, corals, marine plants and fish are being destroyed, disrupting the balance of the ecosystem, which is creating a threat of a fish shortage in the Bay of Bengal in the future.

The process of taking further legal action against the seized evidence and the arrested accused is under process.

He further said that Bangladesh Coast Guard is maintaining round-the-clock surveillance in the sea, coastal and riverine areas with the aim of enriching the country’s blue economy. It will continue such operations in the future as well.