Eight Bangladeshi prisoner released by Burma’s authority

Written by Webmaster
Kaladan Press Org
Saturday, 19 January 2008

Teknaf, Bangladesh: Eight Bangladeshi prisoners who were arrested in November when their fishing boat ran aground in Burmese waters returned home on Thursday after their release by Burma’s authorities.

On January 17, around noon, Burma’s border security forces, or Nasaka, turned the prisoners over to Bangladesh Rifles, the country’s border security forces, at the transit point of Teknaf. Bangladesh Rifles, or BDR, received them and handed them over again to Teknaf police station, according to a Bangladesh police official.

The police then sent them home after asking some questions. All returnees are from the village of Shefali Para of Mushkhali union, Cox’s Bazar district.

They eight men were caught by Burma’s naval forces while they were stranded at the Beach of Kyauk Pru Island of Arakan State, Burma. On November 11, 2007, they were fishing in the Bay of Bengal in Bangladesh waters, but the engine of the fishing boat had troubles after meeting a storm on November 15, and they were stranded at Kyauk Pru Island.

They were first detained on Kyauk Pru before being transferred to Sittwe jail, in the capital of Arakan State.

The returnees were identified as Abdul Karim (25), Nur Hussain (25), Md. Salay (37), Md. Issaque (30), Shaffi Alam (32), Mokbul Ahmed Majee (45), Shabbir Ahmed (35), Kamal Sakhidar ( 40), and Abul Hashim (45), according to our correspondent.