1 dies, 26 missing in trawler capsize

A fishing trawler has sunken off the coast near the St Martin’s Island at Cox’s Bazar after a ship reportedly hit it.

Bangladesh Navy has found one dead and pulled two from the sea 30 nautical miles south-west of the island, while 26 more are still missing.

At least 29 crew and fishermen on ‘FV Bandhan’ drowned at Point 11 of the Bay of Bengal around 3am Friday, said Lt Commander Fazlul Karim of the Coast Guard.

Bengal Fisheries, which owned the sunken trawler, said it was hit by ship Basundhara-8 while it was on its way to Singapore.

“Navy ship BN Samudrajoy headed for the site at dawn. Coast Guard vessel Tanvir also took part in the rescue,” said Saint Martin’s Coast Guard Station Commander Lt Ashikur Rahman.

He said the body of one was recovered and two others were rescued alive.

Captain Udit Biswas of ‘FV Mita’, another trawler owned by Bengal Fisheries, said those rescued told them by telephone that the FV Bandhan sank after it was hit by merchant vessel Basundhara-8.

He claimed that those on Bandhan failed to draw attention of the merchant vessel before the incident.

A Navy official, taking part in rescue operation, told bdnews24.com on condition of anonymity that documents of Basundhara had been seized.

The Department of Shipping has formed a three-member investigative committee headed by ASM Sirajul Islam to submit a report in five working days.