The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Directorate has strongly rejected reports claiming that a Bangladesh Navy vessel sank an Indian fishing trawler in the Bay of Bengal, calling the allegations false, misleading and completely unfounded.

In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, ISPR condemned certain media outlets and social media platforms for spreading misinformation alleging that a Bangladesh Navy ship intruded into Indian territorial waters and deliberately sank an Indian fishing trawler, PAROMITA-10, during fishing operations.

ISPR clarified that at the time of the incident, a Bangladesh Navy patrol ship was conducting routine maritime patrol well within Bangladesh waters, more than 12 nautical miles away from the location where the trawler capsized.

“The Bangladesh Navy had no involvement whatsoever in the incident,” the statement said.

According to ISPR, on Monday (December 15) at around 3:15 PM Bangladesh local time, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) of Indian Coast Guard formally informed MRCC Dhaka via email that the Indian fishing boat PAROMITA-10 had capsized and sunk in Indian waters in the Bay of Bengal, with 16 fishermen on board.

Another Indian fishing trawler, IFB RAGHUPATI, rescued 11 of the fishermen, while five remained missing.

The Indian Coast Guard subsequently requested nearby vessels and fishing boats to assist in search and rescue operations.

ISPR said that immediately after receiving the information, the Bangladesh Navy deployed its patrol ship to conduct search operations within Bangladesh waters.

In close coordination with Indian authorities, the Bangladesh Navy actively participated in the rescue efforts alongside the Indian Coast Guard and local Bangladeshi fishermen.

The statement noted that these actions reflected the Bangladesh Navy’s commitment to humanitarian assistance at sea and contributed to strengthening mutual trust, cooperation and friendly relations between the two neighbouring countries.

Despite these facts, ISPR said, some sections of the media and social media continued to circulate baseless allegations against the Bangladesh Navy.

“The publication of such misinformation is deeply regrettable and unwarranted,” the statement added.

ISPR urged all media outlets to practise responsible journalism and refrain from publishing or sharing misleading, sensational or defamatory reports involving the Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh.