BM Report:

Bangladeshi fisherman Harnath Pal was rescued by the Indian Coast Guard after being missing for five days following the sinking of his fishing boat during Cyclone Midhili.

Pal, a resident of Bibirkhil village in Cox’s Bazar district, was found drifting at sea on Thursday, by an Indian fishing trawler, Narendra-2, approximately 70 miles south of Paradip, India. Pal’s fishing boat, FB Mohona, along with 18 crues had sunk in the Bay of Bengal on November 17, 2023.

The Indian Coast Guard ship ICGS Bharat took custody of Pal and handed him over to the Bangladesh Coast Guard ship Swadhin Bangla at the zero line of the Bangladesh-India maritime boundary on Friday afternoon, in accordance with a bilateral agreement between the two countries.

Pal was provided with necessary food and medical care by the Bangladesh Coast Guard ship Swadhin Bangla and is currently in good health. He was subsequently handed over to Mr. Dipankar Das, the Upazila Executive Officer of Mongla, under the jurisdiction of the Western Zone of the Bangladesh Coast Guard.

Mr. Das stated that Pal has received primary medical treatment and will be reunited with his family upon contacting them. Other fishing crues are still missing.

Cyclone Midhili, a severe tropical cyclone, made landfall in Bangladesh on November 16, 2023, causing widespread damage and destruction, including the sinking of fishing boats and the loss of life.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard has been actively collaborating with the Indian Coast Guard to search for missing fishermen and rescue those stranded at sea.