Two more bodies were recovered from the Bay of Bengal today, taking the death toll in the February 4 trawlers capsize to seven now. Prahlad Chandra Roy, officer-in-charge of the Dubla Jale Palli Patrol outpost in the Sundarbans East Forest Division, confirmed the development to our Bagerhat correspondent. A team of Bangladesh Coastguard recovered the bodies of two fishermen,

who went missing after trawlers sank in the Bay of Bengal, from near Dublar Char this noon, he said. Identities of the deceased could not be known immediately, said Prahlad Chandra Roy. Seeking anonymity, a Coastguard official told this correspondent that there were no radios in most of the trawlers. Although there were radios in some trawlers,

the fishermen didn't know how to operate it. When asked about missing trawlers and fishermen, the coastguard official said even the trawler-owners do not know exactly how many trawlers and fishermen are missing. According to fishermen, who were rescued alive, at least 21 fishing trawlers sank in different parts of the Bay of Bengal during a sudden storm on the night of February 4.

Most of the fishermen in the trawlers swam to safety and several of them went missing. Later, bodies of five fishermen were found in the Bay. At least eight fishermen and six trawlers were missing till this morning, the fishermen added.

Source: Daily Star