COX’S BAZAR: Bodies of seven overseas jobseekers were found in the Kutubdia coast in Bay of Bengal on Friday noon where a fishing trawler with about 100 people on board capsized on Thursday.
Bangladesh Coast Guard, navy, locals have recovered the seven bodies of ill-fated Malaysia-bound people around 12:30pm in phases.
Police said 15 to 20 passengers remain missing while coast guard claimed that 50 people are still missing.
Earlier, police, with the help of locals, so far rescued 42 victims, including three suspected human traffickers, along with the capsized trawler till Thursday evening.
Coast guard sources said Tanvir and Towhid, two rescue vessels of coast guard, Atondra and Aporajeyas, two of Bangladesh Navy, two more high-speed boats of coast guard have been conducting the rescue drives.
Two more local fishing trawlers joined the salvage operation from Friday morning.
On the other hand, police filed a case with Kutubdia thana at 11:00am Friday against 11 human traffickers under the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act, in this connection.
Police sources said 36 out of the 42 rescued were sent to court while rests were recognized as human traffickers.
Kutubdia Thana officer-in-charge Aungsa Thoyai and Chittagong East Zone Coast Guard public relations officer M Rajibul Islam confirmed the matter of rescue operation.
Earlier on Thursday, over a hundred fortune seekers went missing after a trawler carrying them capsized in the Bay of Bengal.
BDST: 1308 HRS, JAN 30, 2015
