52 fishermen missing from Maheshkhali

A total of 52 fishermen are missing in Maheshkhali, according to official reports. The fishermen went fishing in the Bay of Bengal on 28 May, two days before cyclone Mora hit the coastal area.   

It is unknown how many of them are still alive.

Momtaz of the Charpara fishing village, died at sea while catching fish. His wife Senowara Begum recalled when she last talked to her husband. Momtaz told her this would be his last trip of this season. Senowara Begum understood the sea condition was not good, but knew that this was their only source of income. Momtaz said he would return after a week.

But he did not. He drowned at sea, said his fellow fishermen who returned.

"I have four kids, how will I survive?" asked Senowara.

Pormina Khatun's husband Ziaur Rahman is also missing after Mora.

Pormina married Ziaur Rahman about ten days before the cyclone. Pormina is still waiting for her husband to return.

A number of women of the area said the trawler owners instigated the fishermen to the sea for money, but now they were not providing any help to the women.

Maheshkhali fishing boat owners' association president Abu Bakar Siddique said they were facing losses themselves. He demanded help from the government for the fishermen families.

Mohammad Nur is one of the lucky fishermen who was saved by the Indian navy and returned home.

He said they could not receive clear radio signals, so they did not realise that cyclone Mora was coming.  

Cox's Bazar deputy commissioner sent a letter to the information secretary on 4 June requesting accretion of the range of radio frequency.

Maheshkhali union parishad officer Abul Kalam Azad said the upazila administration is preparing a list of the missing and dead fishermen and , their families will be given Tk 3000 each on Monday.

Source: Prothom Alo