Eighteen fishermen have been stranded in the Bay of Bengal since the early hours of Saturday, when the engine of their fishing trawler broke down some 80 to 100 kilometres south-east of the estuary near Sonarchar in Rangabali upazila of Patuakhali. Their families last heard from them on Tuesday night.

Mehedi Hasan, son of the trawler's owner and skipper Hanif Mia, said his father and 17 others set out from the Char Fasson fish landing in Bhola on Saturday morning and have been stuck at sea since the engine failed. He spoke to his father around 10pm on Tuesday: the sea was rough, and nearby fishing boats they signalled for help did not come close because of the waves.

Hanif Mia also phoned friends and relatives ashore, and the national emergency number 999 was called. The answer, according to those involved, was that no suitable vessel, crew or rescue equipment was available to reach the spot.

Amzad Hossain, the officer in charge of the Coast Guard in Rangabali, said the same. Reaching the trawler could take six to eight hours, he said, and a rescue in such seas would also put the rescuers at risk; his patrol team is currently deployed on the rivers around the upazila.

Zayedur Rahman, in charge of the river police in Rangabali, said efforts were under way to reach the stranded men through other fishermen at sea. The upazila nirbahi officer, Nazmul Hasan, said the authorities concerned had been urged to act.

The case again raises the question of safety for coastal trawlers that fish far offshore in the rough-weather season. Officials in Rangabali themselves acknowledge that when an engine fails far from shore, local agencies do not have the boats or equipment to bring the crew home.

The report was filed by Prothom Alo's correspondent in Rangabali, Patuakhali.

Source: Prothom Alo