Staff Reporter :
At least 35 fishermen have remained missing in the Bay of Bengal along the coast of Kuakata after coarse tides capsized the fishing boats of the unfortunate men, who sailed for catching Hilsha around a week ago.
Ansar Uddin Mollah, President of Fish Traders Association in Alipur, , a fish landing station under Kalapara upazila in Patuakhali, said, “At least 15 fishing trawlers in the Bay sailed for fishing but four capsized there. Five fishermen among 40 of FB Delwar Molla Trawler and FB Habib Khalifa Trawler from Barguna, returned to the shore on Friday, while 15 fishermen out of 17 of FB Maria trawler from Bagerhat, were rescued by the Indian trawlers.”
He told reporters, four trawlers capsized about 20km from Kuakata beach and at least 40 fishermen were in these trawlers.
Babul, a survivor, told the media, “We along with others headed for Alipur. The weather became rough and four trawlers capsized Thursday afternoon.”
“We, five fishermen floated in the sea for an hour before another fishing trawler rescued us. We can’t say about fate of others missing fishermen.”
He said that several hundred fishing boats and trawlers sailed to catch Hilsa about seven or eight days ago.
The rescue operation by the Coast Guard and the Naval Police to continue until further announcement in this regard, said Ltd Zahid Al Hasan, the Detective Officer of Coast Guard Mongla west Zone.
Md Joynal Abedin, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) of East Sundarban Sharonkhla Ranbge, said, more than one thousand trawlers have been kept at different canals while four trawlers are still missing.
