Sundarbans fishermen will be released by Bangladesh soon: Mamata Banerjee

JHARKHALI (WEST BENGAL): Fishermen from the Sundarbans region of West Bengal who are in the custody of Bangladesh authorities for entering its territory while fishing would return home soon, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said.

Banerjee, who announced a bunch of development projects at a programme here, said she has written to the Centre to take up the matter with Bangladesh and speed up the release of the fishermen.

"There have been some recent changes in the boundary and the fishermen did not know that. I have written to the Centre to talk to the Bangladesh government so that the fishermen can return home. Talks with the Bangladesh government are also on ... They (fishermen) will soon return home," she said.

South 24 Parganas District Magistrate Santanu Basu said that about 20 days ago 20-21 fishermen from Canning had "unknowingly" crossed over to Bangladesh.