Local fishermen rescued two Sri Lankan nationals from the Bay of Bengal near Maheshkhali’s coast in Cox’s Bazar after their boat had drifted for 36 days.
Their engine broke down while fishing off Sri Lanka, leaving them stranded at sea until currents carried them into Bangladeshi waters on Friday night, said Maheshkhali Officer‑in‑charge Abdus Sultan.
The rescued men were SH Chaminda, 51, and his son Sounda Hannadigipoatong, 30. Identity documents showed they are residents of Rural Hospital Road in Devinuwara, Sri Lanka, and registered with the country’s Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
OC Sultan said that while fishing in the Bay of Bengal, crew members of a boat owned by Ziaur Rahman of Southpara village in Kutubjom union rescued the two foreign nationals from a drifting fiberglass fishing boat on Friday night.
On Saturday afternoon, the men were brought ashore at Taziyakatta ghat in Kutubjom, Maheshkhali.
Ziaur said his crew found Chaminda and Sounda in poor condition amid rough weather near Sonarchar. They were taken aboard the trawler and brought safely to Maheshkhali. The fishermen reported surviving by eating raw fish caught at sea.
According to the rescuers, both men were in critical condition when found. Once ashore, they were given food, clean water, and basic medical care. They are currently at Ziaur’s home.
Maheshkhali Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Imran Mahmud Dalim said authorities are verifying their identities, the circumstances, and whether they truly spent 36 days adrift.
The matter has been reported to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Bangladesh Coast Guard, and Sri Lanka’s embassy in Dhaka.
Officials from the Coast Guard’s Eastern Zone confirmed that information on the two Sri Lankan nationals has been forwarded to relevant authorities.
Further action will be taken in line with instructions from the foreign and home ministries once their identities and account are verified.
