Bangladesh apprehends 34 Indian fishermen; New Delhi seeks their early return
New Delhi, Jul 18 (PTI): Bangladesh has apprehended 34 Indian fishermen for allegedly fishing in its territorial waters and India has been pressing Dhaka to ensure their safe and early return, official sources said on Friday.
The fishermen along with their two fishing trawlers were apprehended on the intervening night of July 14 and 15, they said.
Immediately after information about the incident was received, the Indian high commission in Bangladesh took up the matter with Bangladeshi authorities through diplomatic channels and immediate consular access to the fishermen, the sources said.
"We are constantly pursuing the matter for facilitating the safe and early return of all the fishermen along with their boats," one of the sources said.
A total of 34 Indian fishermen along with two of their Indian fishing trawlers -- FB Jhor and FB MaMagal Chandi -- were apprehended by Bangladesh authorities near Mongla, the sources said.
The Bangladeshi authorities accused the Indian nationals of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in Bangladeshi territorial waters, they said.
The incident comes amid continuing strain in India-Bangladesh relations.
There has been a sharp downturn in the ties after deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled Dhaka and took shelter in India in August last year in the face of a massive anti-government protest.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
US VP JD Vance says Lebanon not part of ceasefire, calls it ‘misunderstanding’
Budapest/Washington: US Vice President J D Vance has said that Lebanon was never included in the ceasefire understanding with Iran, describing the confusion as a “legitimate misunderstanding”.
Speaking to reporters before departing from Hungary, Vance said, “I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn’t. We never made that promise.”
He stressed that the United States had not included Lebanon in the scope of the ceasefire at any stage.
His remarks come amid continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where more than 200 people were reported killed, even as ceasefire talks between Iran and the US move forward.
Vance said Israel had “offered … to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful”.
He warned that if Iran allows the situation in Lebanon to affect the negotiations, it could derail the talks.
“If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice,” he said.
