At least 16 fishermen went missing in the Bay of Bengal Friday as five fishing boats carrying them capsized due to rough weather near Payra Port in Patuakhali, according to Bangladesh Coast Guard.
Seventy fishermen boarded the boats that got caught in a ferocious storm and at least 54 of them were rescued by other vessels, Ansar Uddin Mollah, president of Kuakata-Alipur Fish Storehouse Owners' Association, said.
The missing fishermen, residents of Mohipur and Bhola's Hazariganj, had gone into the Bay of Bengal in the fishing boats MV Mamoni-3, FB Saiful, FB Al Mamun, FB Kulsoom, and FB Rafique Mizhi to bait and catch fish for their businesses.
Nizampur Coast Guard Contingent Commander Selim Mandal said: "We are conducting a search and rescue operation for the missing fishermen."
However, the identities of the missing men could not be confirmed.
Read: Two dead, two others missing in Noakhali trawler capsize
Earlier, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) advised the maritime ports, including Payra, to hoist the local cautionary signal three to alert vessels of a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal.
A depression over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining area has moved west-northwestward and intensified into a deep depression.
At 12pm, the depression was centred over northwest Bay and adjoining Bangladesh and India's West Bengal. It is likely to intensify further and move more northwestward.
The BMD advised all fishing boats in the northern Bay of Bengal and deep sea to take shelter immediately.