Arakan Army releases 24 detained fishermen to Border Guard Bangladesh in Teknaf
Photo Collected
The Arakan Army, a militant group in Myanmar, has released 24 fishermen who were detained after straying into the Bay of Bengal and the Naf River. The release, secured through the diplomatic efforts of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), took place on Wednesday afternoon. Among those returned, 16 are Bangladeshi citizens, while the remaining eight are residents of Rohingya refugee camps in Teknaf.
According to BGB and local sources, the Arakan Army transported the 24 fishermen from Maungdaw Township in Rakhine State to the zero-line of the Naf River aboard a trawler at approximately 11:30 a.m. A BGB team subsequently arrived from the Khayukhali transit jetty in Teknaf to facilitate the transfer. Following a brief exchange between the two parties, the fishermen were handed over to Bangladeshi authorities and arrived back at the Teknaf transit jetty at roughly 1:30 p.m.
Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Hanifur Rahman Bhuiyan, commander of the BGB’s Teknaf-2 Battalion, stated that the fishermen had inadvertently entered Myanmar’s territorial waters while fishing. The Arakan Army had held the individuals in Myanmar-controlled territory during their detention. He confirmed that the BGB initiated the repatriation process on humanitarian grounds, successfully securing their release through formal discussions.
The BGB commander further noted that local administration and law enforcement officials are currently verifying the identities of the 24 individuals. Once identity verification is complete, they will be reunited with their families. He added that the BGB continues to work toward securing the release of other fishermen still held in Myanmar.
Official BGB records indicate that between January 1, 2025, and August 18, 2026, the Arakan Army has detained 434 fishermen, including 222 Bangladeshi citizens and 212 Rohingya residents. Through sustained BGB intervention, 348 of these individuals—comprising 157 Bangladeshis and 191 Rohingya—have now been repatriated in multiple phases. Currently, 65 Bangladeshi citizens and 21 Rohingya remain in detention within Myanmar.
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