Bhola trawler capsize: Bodies of 5 fishermen recovered after 5 days, 2 more missing

The bodies of five fishermen have been recovered five days after a trawler capsized in the Bay of Bengal estuary near Charfesson upazila of Bhola.

The bodies were recovered from the Bay of Bengal estuary around 2:00pm on Friday, said Bhola Additional Superintendent of Police Md Asaduzzaman Khan and local administration.

The deceased were identified as Md Harun Dorji, Md Sharif Hossain, Md Shattar Hawlader, Md Nur Islam and Fazle Karim Bari.

According to sources at Samraj Fishghat in Charfession, on 25 June, 13 fishermen went fishing in the Bay of Bengal with the trawler of local Jahangir Majhi. A day later, on Saturday (24 June) the trawler capsized in the sea. Thirteen fishermen went missing.

On Friday morning, six fishermen were rescued and were admitted to Charfession Upazila Health Complex. According to the information given by them, local fishermen and fish traders recovered the bodies of five fishermen from the Bay of Bengal around 2:00pm.

Two fishermen are still missing. All the injured, killed and missing fishermen are from different villages of Charfession. The identities of the injured and missing fishermen were not immediately confirmed.

Charfession UNO Al Noman told reporters that the Bhola district administration will provide financial assistance of Tk20,000 each to the families of the five fishermen killed in the incident.

It is to be noted that although there was a 65-day ban on fishing in the sea, the fishermen had gone fishing evading the eyes of the administration.