Coast Guard seizes Tk36 lakh illegal trawling equipment in Chattogram
The Bangladesh Coast Guard has seized illegal artisanal trawling nets and equipment worth Tk3.6 million, detaining seven people, including an Indian national, during a special operation in Chattogram.
Coast Guard Media Officer, Siam-ul-Haq, a Lieutenant Commander, confirmed the information on Thursday morning, 8 January 2026.
He stated that since its inception, the Bangladesh Coast Guard has played a vital role in ensuring security across the country's vast maritime, coastal, and riverine areas. Alongside improving the livelihoods of fishermen, the force has been working tirelessly to prevent illegal artisanal trawling activities.
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According to the Coast Guard, some dishonest fishermen and traders have recently been violating government restrictions to maximise profits by installing illegal trawling equipment and small-mesh behundi nets on wooden fishing boats, effectively converting them into artisanal trawlers. These small-mesh nets are destroying fish fry from both deep and shallow seas, egg-bearing mother fish, and natural fish feed, leading to a significant decline in fish breeding over the past four years. As a result, many traditional fishermen are becoming unemployed.
Based on intelligence, the Coast Guard learned that a factory near Char Patharghata, under Karnafuli Police Station in Chattogram, was engaged in manufacturing banned artisanal trawling equipment and nets. Acting on this information, Coast Guard Base Chattogram conducted a special operation at around 6:00pm on Wednesday, 7 January 2026.
During the operation, the Coast Guard recovered 12 illegal trawling nets and related equipment from the factory. The main technician involved in making the trawling boats—Indian national Pandit Biswas—was detained along with six Bangladeshi technicians. The detained Indian national, aged 39, is a resident of South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, India.
Preliminary interrogation revealed that, while staying in Bangladesh, Pandit Biswas worked as the principal technician installing banned artisanal trawling equipment on Bangladeshi fishing boats and manufacturing trawling nets. He last entered Bangladesh on a travel visa on 27 November 2025. The Coast Guard stated that he had previously entered Bangladesh multiple times through Bhomra land port in Satkhira and worked in areas including Patharghata in Barguna and Banshkhali in Chattogram, installing illegal trawling equipment and making trawling nets.
The Coast Guard also noted that Pandit Biswas was arrested earlier, on 12 August 2025, in a joint operation with the army and sent to jail. However, he was released on bail within a short time. Following his release, he allegedly resumed illegal activities on a larger scale in different parts of the country.
The seized equipment and detained individuals are currently undergoing legal proceedings.
Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq stated that the Coast Guard will continue such operations in the future to protect the country's fisheries resources.
