The Forest Department and villagers have recovered the body of fisherman Subrata Mondal (32) seven hours after he was attacked by a crocodile in the Karamjal canal of the Sundarbans. Subrata was attacked on Tuesday (30 September) after going into the Sundarbans to catch crabs. His cremation took place in Dhangmari at midday on Wednesday (1 October).

Forest official Md Azad Kabir and Israfil Boyati, a resident of Dhangmari village, said Subrata Mondal and his companions went into the Sundarbans on Tuesday morning with a crab-catching pass from the Forest Department. On the way back with their catch, at about 3.30pm, a crocodile seized him as he crossed the Karamjal canal and dragged him away. Seven hours later his submerged body was recovered 500 metres from the spot. The crocodile had earlier dropped the body from its mouth and moved away.

The body was recovered from the water at about 10.30pm on Tuesday and taken to his home. The cremation was held at the Dhangmari village cremation ground on Wednesday afternoon.

Forest official Azad Kabir said that because Subrata had entered the forest with a pass, the Forest Department was processing a government grant of Tk 3 lakh for his family.

Last year Mosharef, a fisherman from Bhojonkhali in Dhangmari, was killed by a crocodile in the same Karamjal canal. Because it was during a banned period and he had no pass, his family did not receive any government grant.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.