Some of the returning fishermen said they were beaten, given little food and forced to perform manual labour while being held in areas controlled by the Arakan Army.
by Hafizur Rahman
Cox’s Bazar, 20 August 2026: Twenty-four fishermen, including six Rohingya and 18 Bangladeshi nationals, have returned to Bangladesh after being detained by the Arakan Army in Myanmar.
A Border Guard Bangladesh team received the fishermen from the Arakan Army at the zero line of the Naf River on Wednesday, August 19, before bringing them to the Teknaf jetty.
Lt Col Md Hanifur Rahman Bhuiyan, commanding officer of BGB-2 Teknaf Battalion, confirmed the return.
According to BGB, the fishermen had been detained at different times after entering waters controlled from the Myanmar side while fishing in the Bay of Bengal and the Naf River.
Some were subsequently held in Arakan Army-controlled areas or prisons inside Myanmar.
BGB said it had been working through communication and coordination with the Arakan Army to secure the phased return of detained fishermen on humanitarian grounds.
The 24 returnees included 18 Bangladeshis and six Rohingya fishermen.
After reaching Teknaf, their identities were verified with the assistance of local administration and law enforcement officials before they were handed over to their families.
Some of the returning fishermen alleged that they were subjected to harsh treatment during detention.
They said detainees were made to perform manual labour, including construction work, farming and digging soil, and were beaten if they refused to work.
They also said they were provided only small amounts of food during their detention.
According to accounts given by the returnees, some had remained in detention for around eight months, while others had been held for much longer.
One returning fisherman, Mohammad Shafiq of Koanchharipara in Sabrang Union, told Rohingya Khobor that he had been detained for nearly nine months after he and five others were intercepted while fishing near Saint Martin’s Island.
Shafiq alleged that they were forced to work for several hours each day and were beaten when they refused.
His account could not be independently verified by Rohingya Khobor.
BGB figures show that between January 1, 2025 and August 19, 2026, a total of 434 fishermen were detained by the Arakan Army, including 222 Bangladeshis and 212 Rohingya.
Of them, 348 have so far returned to Bangladesh—157 Bangladeshis and 191 Rohingya.
Another 86 fishermen remain in detention, including 65 Bangladeshis and 21 Rohingya, according to BGB.
BGB said efforts are continuing to secure the return of those who remain detained.
