The Bangladesh Coast Guard has rescued eight fishermen who had been adrift in the Bay of Bengal for six days after their fishing trawler suffered engine failure near the Kutubdia coast in Cox’s Bazar. The rescue operation was confirmed in a press release issued on Saturday by Coast Guard Headquarters’ media officer, Lieutenant Commander Siammondul Haque.
The rescued fishermen, all residents of Banshkhali upazila in Chattogram, were aboard the trawler MV Malek Shah, also belonging to a Banshkhali resident.
According to Lt. Commander Haque, the trawler departed from the Banshkhali coast on the afternoon of March 16 for a fishing expedition. However, around 9 PM that night, its shaft and propeller broke down, leaving the vessel stranded and drifting uncontrollably.
As the trawler drifted beyond mobile network coverage, communication with the fishermen was lost. Six days later, on Friday night, the vessel reached waters near the Matarbari power plant in Maheshkhali upazila, where it regained network access. The stranded fishermen immediately contacted the Coast Guard for help.
Upon receiving the distress call, a Coast Guard team swiftly reached the location and successfully rescued the fishermen and the trawler. The media officer stated that the rescued individuals received primary medical treatment before being handed over to the trawler’s owner on Saturday afternoon.
Cox’s Bazar Life Report/Mohammad Morshed
Photo: Courtesy