A cattle trader went missing and 23 cows were lost after a trawler carrying 28 sacrificial animals capsized during a sudden storm in the Padma River in Louhajang, Munshiganj, on Monday afternoon.
The incident occurred around 3:15pm when the trawler, hired by 15 traders to take the cows to a market in Keraniganj, reached near pillar No. 15 of the Padma Bridge, according to local sources.
Strong winds and heavy waves caused the trawler to overturn. While 14 traders and five cows managed to swim to safety, one trader could not be located. The remaining 23 cows were lost in the river.
The missing trader has been identified as Ayub Ali (45), a resident of Salipur village in Char Bhadrasan area, Faridpur.
Mawa River Police Outpost In-Charge Mohammad Elias confirmed the incident, saying the wholesalers from Faridpur’s Char Bhadrasan area were caught in a nor’wester while heading to Dhaka for the sacrificial animal market.
Deputy Assistant Director of Munshiganj Fire Service Muhammad Sadiqul Islam said a unit from Louhajang Fire Service, including divers, conducted a rescue operation after receiving news of the incident.
“However, due to strong currents, they faced difficulties,” he said. The fire service diver team is expected to resume the search operation on Tuesday morning for the missing cattle trader.
Further updates are awaited as the search continues.
