West Bengal Sunderbans Development Minister Manturam Pakhira told reporters here that the fishing boats had been missing for the last one week and their whereabouts became known when a fisherman from Bangladesh rang up the West Bengal United Fishermen Association (WBUFA) yesterday.
The WBUFA was told by the fisherman that all 164 fishermen had been put in a jail in Chittagong, one of whom, Sanjib Samanta (40) from Kakdwip, had died after a heart attack two days ago, he said.