Trawler sinks in Mongla with extra passengers

A trawler with 80 passengers sank in Mongla river. The accident happened on Sunday (May 26) around 9 am while crossing the river with more passengers. Some of the passengers were able to get out due to drowning but others are feared missing. Naval police, fire service and coastguard divers are searching for their rescue.

Locals said that hundreds of passengers have crossed the river in trawlers since dawn. Most of them are workers of a factory called 'VIP' of EPZ. On this day, there were 70-80 passengers in each trawler. The trawlers were crossing the river with excess passengers in the greed of extra profit during the cyclone. The relatives of the passengers rushed to the spot after hearing the news of the accident. At this time vandalized the toll collection counter under the control of the municipality. Since this incident trawler movement has been stopped in Mongla river.

When asked about loading extra passengers on the trawler during the storm, Nur Islam Babul, General Secretary of Trawler Owners Business Association across Mongla River, said, “What do we have to do if the passengers jump on the trawler, he hung up the phone.”

Most of the passengers on the sunken trawler were workers of the VIP factory in Mongla EPZ. When asked to know, Mizanur Rahman, manager of human resource department of VIP factory, claimed that the factory was closed after the alarm number 7 was issued. So why were the workers crossing the river in the morning? When asked, he said, I am in a meeting. What you write.

On the condition of anonymity, several workers complained that Mizan sir of VIP called to go to the factory during the storm. He took the factory by force.

Mongla Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) Nishat Tamanna said, after the trawler accident, we are investigating. Whether any passengers are missing. The CCTV footage of the municipality is being monitored in that regard.