50 fishermen missing in Bay

At least 50 fishermen have remained missing in the Bay for the last seven days.

All of them had gone to the Bay for fishing on November 3, after end of the seasonal ban on catching of hilsa.

Of the ill-fated fishermen, 13 are from Taltali upazila in Barguna district, 18 from Galachipa upazila, 10 from Kalapara upazila and nine others from Rangabali upazila of Patuakhali district, said Golam Mostafa Chowdhury, president of Barguna fishing trawler owners association.

Ansar Mollah, president of Alipur fish traders association in Patuakhali, also confirmed the matter.

Families of the missing fishermen and the fish traders concerned expressed fear that they might have drowned in the Bay during the recent depression.

Sixteen fishermen went to the Bay with a trawler owned by Syed Howlader of Panpatti village under Galachipa upazila on November 3 while eleven other fishermen went to the Bay on the same day from Kazikanda village under Rangabali upazila, local sources said.

All they went missing and remained traceless as of yesterday noon.

Aynal Howladar, owner of trawler FB Mayer Doa, said 13 fishermen went to the Bay from Sakhina fishing ghat under Taltali upazila but they went missing along with the trawler.

"We tried to communicate with them over their cell phones but all the phones were found off. The missing fishermen are from Sakhina and Nidrar Char villages under Taltali upazila in Barguna," he said.

Kamolesh Chandra Howladar, office in charge of Taltali Police Station, said, "Nobody told us about the incident. If anyone informs us, we will take lawful step regarding the matter."