Bagerhat: Some 30 fishermen of the district who went missing after several trawlers capsized in the Bay of Bengal on 20 September could not be traced even after seven days of the incident.

Of the missing fishermen, 26 hailed from Kachua upazila while two from Sharankhola and one each from Chitalmari and Sadar upazilas respectively, said sources at the local Department of Fisheries office.

District Fisheries Officer Narayan Chandra Mondal said 30 fishermen and eight trawlers remained missing till Sunday.

Several teams were searching for the missing fishermen in the Bay of Bengal, he said.

Mizanur Rahman, a fish trader of Bagerhat’s KB Bazar, said his two trawlers with 19 fishermen were still missing after the storm in the bay.  

He also alleged that the fishing boats could have taken shelter in safe places if the meteorology department had forecast weather warning in right time.  

Kachua Police officer in-charge Sheikh Shamsher Ali said relatives of the missing fishermen filed four general dairies with the police station.

Some 58 fishermen were rescued from the sea till 22 September while Bangladesh Coast Guard rescued 16 others, Bangladesh Navy 35 fishermen from Fairway Buoy area, Hiran point and Dublarchar area after the fishing boats sank in the bay.

Earlier, on 20-21 September, at least 22 trawlers capsized in the Bay of Bengal in Bagerhat and Barguna districts during stormy weather.