11 bodies found from fishing trawler in Cox’s Bazar

News Desk

The decomposed bodies of 11 fishermen were found on a trawler floating off Nazirertek Beach in Cox’s Bazar on Sunday.

The bodies are yet to be identified.

Sources said a unit of Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the spot and recovered the 11 bodies.

Cox’s Bazar Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Zakaria also confirmed the matter.

According to local fishermen, a few days ago a group of robbers attacked the trawler, looting and killing the fishermen onboard, before putting them inside the trawler’s deck and making a hole in it.

Cox’s Bazar Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Rafiqul Islam said: “We went to the spot after receiving the information and recovered the fishing trawler.”

Locals said that the fishing trawler went to sea for fishing at least 15 to 16 days ago.

The recovered bodies were tied with ropes. Therefore, the police think that it is not an accident, but a murder.

The police will take necessary legal action based on the source of this murder.

Superintendent of Police of Cox’s Bazar, Mohammad Mahfuzul Islam, said that the trawler was brought to the shore with the help of local fishermen along with the team of Cox’s Bazar Fire Service. The wooden trunk inside the trawler was opened after three hours of attempt and 10 bodies were recovered one by one.

He said it was a murder. It is believed that the robbers killed them in the deep sea and nailed them to a wooden trunk inside the trawler.

The crime scene teams of CID and PBI have been informed to confirm their identity.

The SP said that besides identifying the victims, the incident of this murder will be investigated.

Fire Service Cox’s Bazar Station Officer Khan Khalilur Rahman said that all the bodies recovered from inside the trawler were decomposed. The bodies were tied up with ropes. Each of them was brutally murdered.

Meanwhile, local fishermen claimed that a few days ago, a group of robbers attacked a fishing trawler in the sea on the coast of Cox’s Bazar. Then the robbers looted the trawlers and killed the fishermen.

They believe the fishermen are from Maheshkhali, Chakaria, Kutubdia or nearby areas. However, no one came to the spot claiming ownership of the fishing trawler.

Fire service wrapped up the rescue operation at 3:42pm.

Our Cox’s Bazar correspondent Abdul Aziz contributed to the report