The government-imposed two-month ban on fishing in the Bay of Bengal started from today. The ban -- to ensure smooth breeding of fish -- will remain in force in the Bay of Bengal till July 23 and in the Sundarbans till August 31. According to the notice issued by the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry, the catching of all kinds of fish through water vessels and boats is restricted till July 23. Also read: 65-day fishing ban in Bay begins from Wednesday The government will provide 86 kg of rice to 12,000 fishermen each in Bagerhat district in two phases during this period. Besides, all kinds of tourist vessels will not be allowed in the Sundarbans from June 1 to August 31 for ensuring safe breeding of the fish in the rivers and canals of the forest. Mohammad Belayet Hossain, Forest Divisional Officer of Sundarbans East Zone, said the government earlier imposed a three-month ban on tourism in the Sundarbans and as per the decision of the government, no tourists will be allowed in the Sundarbans during this period for ensuring safe breeding of wild animals. Bagerhat District Fisheries Officer ASM Russel, said the Fisheries Department will be strict in ensuring enforcement of this ban. Besides, drives will be conducted along the marine boundary, he said.  

Cox's Bazar Airport will remain closed from Saturday (May 13, 2023) 7am to Sunday (May 14, 2023) 7pm due to the very severe cyclonic storm Mocha in the Bay of Bengal. However, the decision on Shah Amanat International Airport of Chattogram will be taken after assessing the situation in the morning, said Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority chairman Air Vice Marshal Mafidur Rahman. Earlier, The Bangladesh Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee gave a direction which said that the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exam of Sunday (May 14) was postponed under five boards; Chattogram board, Cumilla board, Barisal board, Bangladesh Madrasa Education Board and Technical Board. Read More: Cyclone Mocha likely to cross Cox’s Bazar-Myanmar’s north coast by Sunday evening The very severe cyclonic storm Mocha in east central bay and adjoining area moved north-northeastwards over the same area and was centred at 06 pm today about 930 kms south-southwest of Chattogram port, 860 kms south-southwest of Cox's Bazar port, 890 kms south-southwest of Mongla Port and 855 kms south­ southwest of Payra port. Maritime ports of Cox's Bazar, Chattogram and Payra have been advised to lower local warning signal number 4 and instead hoist great danger signal number 8. The coastal districts of Cox's Bazar, Chattogram, Feni, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Barishal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Jhalokathi, Pirojpur, Borguna and their offshore islands and chars will come under great danger signal number 8. Read More: 409 shelters prepared in Khulna as depression intensifies into Cyclone Mocha

Local administration has kept 409 cyclone centres prepared for sheltering 2,73,850 people as a deep depression over the Bay turned into Cyclonic storm ‘Mocha’and it is likely to cross Bangladesh on May 14. Khandaker Yeasir Arefin, deputy commissioner of Khulna, said the government has opened 409 cyclone shelters in the district so that people can take shelter if needed. He said a meeting of the disaster management committee will be held at 3:30 pm today (May 11, 2023). Abdul Karim, district relief and rehabilitation officer, said the upazila level officials were asked to remain in their respective workplaces and take precautionary measures. Read More: Cyclone Mocha: 446 cyclone shelters ready as panic grips Bagerhat’s coastal areas They were also asked to take steps to inform people about the danger signal through loudspeakers. Amirul Azad, in-charge of Khulna Weather Observatory Centre, said due to the impact of  cyclone ‘Mocha’ heavy rains accompanied by gusty wind may lash the district on May 13. However, unless the direction is changed, there is no possibility of the cyclone hitting the Khulna coast,  he said. Regarding cyclone preparations, state minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman on Wednesday said , "We are acting in accordance with the SOD (Standing Orders on Disasters). I have communicated with field personnel. The forecast indicates that Cox's Bazaar is the most vulnerable. Most at risk are the low-lying areas of St. Martin Island and Teknaf.” Read More: Cyclone Mocha looms over Bay: DAE asks farmers to harvest paddy, other crops early Enamur Rahman said the authorities will start moving people to cyclone shelters if  the cyclone danger signal reaches 5, 6 or 7. The state minister said the army, the navy and the coastguard are also ready. "We hope to bring down the loss of life and property to zero (if it strikes)," he said.

A low-pressure area has been formed over Southeast Bay and adjoining South Andaman Sea. It is likely to intensify, said the Bangladesh Metrological Department on Monday. “Mild to moderate heat wave is sweeping over Rajshahi, Khulna and Barishal divisions and Dhaka, Tangail, Faridpur, Gopalgonj, Manikgonj, Narayangonj, Mymensingh, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Moulvibazar, Chattogram, Rangamati, Cumilla, Chandpur, Feni, Noakhali and Bandarban districts ,”said a BMD bulletin.  The heat wave may continue and spread, it said. Weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky over the country in 24 hours from 9 am today. Day and night temperature may rise slightly over the country during the period.    

Two people including the prime accused on Tuesday were arrested in connection with the recovery of 10 bodies from a fishing trawler in the coastal area of the Bay of Bengal in Cox’s Bazar on Sunday.    The arrestees are prime accused Baitta Kamal and No.4 accused Karim Sikdar.   Md Mahfuzul Islam, superintendent of police (SP) of the district, said they arrested the duo from Maheshkhali’s Matarbari and adjoining area on Tuesday.   During the primary interrogation, the arrestees admitted that they were involved with the killing of the 10 fishermen, the SP claimed. The arrestees will be produced before a court with a prayer for remand for unveiling more information about the sensational incident, the SP said.    Earlier, Rokeya Akter, wife of one of the victims Shamsul Islam, filed a murder case accusing four identified individuals including the duo and 60 unidentified ones at Cox’s Bazar Sadar police station on Monday. Asked whether all the victims were pirates, he said, “It is not clear yet now, however deceased Shamsul Islam and Nurul Kabir were accused of drugs and robbery cases respectively.” Read more: 10 bodies recovered from fishing trawler in Cox’s Bazar Half-composed bodies of 10 people were recovered from the fishing trawler from Nazira point of Cox's Bazar sea beach on Sunday.  The fishing trawler was towed to the shore by unidentified people.  The trawler went missing two to three weeks ago. The trawler was caught in the net of another fishing trawler, which subsequently pulled it to Sonadia channel in Maheshkhali. Among them were Shamsul Alam, 23; Saiful Islam, 18; Sawkat Ullah, 18; Osman Gani, 17; Saifullah, 23; Parvez Musharraf, 14; Nurul Kabir, 28; Saiful Islam, 34; Mohammad Shahjahan, 35; and Tarek Zia, 25. The bodies were sent to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsies later.  

More than 3,500 desperate Rohingya attempted deadly sea crossings in 39 boats in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal in 2022, according to the latest data from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. This represents a 360 per cent increase on the year before when some 700 people made similar journeys, said UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo at a press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on Tuesday. In the absence of a comprehensive regional response to address these perilous maritime movements, UNHCR warns that more people will die on the high seas, under the watch of many coastal States. UNHCR has recorded an alarming rise in the death toll. At least 348 individuals died or went missing at sea in 2022, making it one of the deadliest years since 2014. Some 3,040 individuals who undertook the sea journey disembarked in 2022, primarily in Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia and Bangladesh. Nearly 45 per cent of those who disembarked were women and children, according to the UN Refugee Agency. In the last two months of 2022, four boats carrying over 450 Rohingya disembarked in Aceh, Indonesia. One boat carrying over 100 Rohingya disembarked in Sri Lanka. One boat is feared to have sunk in early December with approximately 180 individuals on board. Several boats that departed in December remained at sea as of the end of the year. Read more: Very limited spaces offered for Rohingya resettlement: UNHCR Calls by UNHCR to maritime authorities in the region to rescue and disembark people in distress have gone unheeded with many boats adrift for weeks. Most boats departed from Myanmar and Bangladesh, highlighting the growing sense of desperation amongst Rohingya in those two countries. Those who have disembarked report that they undertook these dangerous sea journeys in an effort to find protection, security, family reunification, and livelihoods in other countries. Among them are victims of trafficking, unaccompanied and separated children, and survivors of sexual- and gender-based violence. The current crisis in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea is a crisis of solidarity, UNHCR said. The Bali Process, a forum for policy dialogue, information sharing and cooperation to address people smuggling, human trafficking and related transnational crime, will hold its 8th Ministerial meeting in February. Read more: Vulnerable Rohingyas: US to consider resettlement recommendations from UNHCR UNHCR repeats its call for prompt search and rescue and timely disembarkation in a place of safety, and for support to countries where Rohingya refugees are disembarked. "We call on countries to redouble efforts to prevent human smuggling and trafficking," said UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo at a press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. There is also a need for humanitarian responsibility to be more evenly distributed among countries in the region to ensure protection responses are predictable, equitable, and sustainable. The region and the international community need to support efforts to address the root causes of displacement in Myanmar. Until these are resolved, refugees will continue to undertake dangerous journeys in search of safety.

Coast Guard recovered the bodies of two fishermen from the Bay of Bengal Tuesday and Wednesday almost a week after a fishing boat carrying them capsized when a hole appeared in the vessel and water started gushing into it. The deceased were identified as Yusuf, 25, and Bayezid, 20, Barguna's Patharghata. Kazi Shaminul Bari, Coast Guard Kachikhali Contingent commander, said the duo started sleeping on the boat after casting their net to catch fish in the Bay on January 5. "They went missing after their fishing boat sank." The Coast Guard personnel had been carrying out rescue operations to find the missing fishermen in the Bay and several areas of the Sundarbans since January 6, he said. Although the fishing boat was salvaged from the Bay on the following day, floating bodies of Yusuf and Bayezid were found on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning from the sea, Shaminul said. Md Ikram Hossain, officer-in-charge of Sharankhola Police Station, said the bodies were handed over to their families after the completion of legal procedures. Read more: 13 trawlers sink in Bay in Cox’s Bazar

Newly appointed Ambassador of China to Bangladesh Yao Wen has described Bangladesh as the "Pearl of the Bay of Bengal, an important country in South Asia and a rapidly emerging economy." "Bangladesh is playing an irreplaceable role in regional and international affairs," said the ambassador who arrived here on Wednesday evening to serve as the 16th ambassador of China to Bangladesh. Yao thanked and paid a tribute to Bangladeshi friends from all walks of life for their kind help and stern support for the betterment of China-Bangladesh relations. He said under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the China-Bangladesh Strategic Partnership of Cooperation has been developing fast and steadily. "We keep enhancing mutual political trust, proactively synergize development strategies, promote cooperation in all fields, understand and support each other on core interests and major concerns, and jointly uphold international justice and true multilateralism," said the envoy. Acknowledging that China has embarked on a new journey toward a modern socialist country in all respects while Bangladesh is striving with no effort spared for the splendid dream of "Sonar Bangla" by following the country's Vision 2041 perspective plan, the envoy said their common goals would definitely bring about more powerful dynamics, more vigorous vitality, and an even brighter future for the bilateral relations. Yao said he is ready to work with friends from all walks of life to steadily implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, continuously explore new growth areas and write a new chapter for the Bangladesh-China Strategic Cooperative Partnership. Read more: Chinese envoy promotes Beijing's brand of international relations In his written remarks delivered upon arrival he said as the new ambassador of China to Bangladesh, he would like to keep extensive contact with all Bangladeshi friends, familiarise himself with and respond to expectations of local people towards China-Bangladesh relations, continuously explore new growth points, and let the bilateral relations better benefit the people and the community at large. "All happiness in life is the result of unswerving efforts. For a promising tomorrow of China-Bangladesh relations, let's trail the blaze, lead the way, and strive for the best," he said. Arriving at the Dhaka Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, the ambassador received "warm hospitality" from protocol officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, and officials of the Chinese Embassy. Read more: China to work with IORA for global development: Envoy  

The UN refugee agency, has said some 190 desperate people are on the verge of perishing at sea, adrift somewhere between the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal as pleas to rescue and disembark them are continuously ignored. Reports indicate those onboard have now remained at sea for a month in dire conditions with insufficient food or water, without any efforts by States in the region to help save human lives. Many are women and children, with reports of up to 20 people dying on the unseaworthy vessel during the journey. Read more: Trawler capsize: 29 Rohingya refugees among 33 detained en route to Malaysia  All states have a responsibility to rescue those on the boat and allow them to safely disembark in line with legal obligations and in the name of humanity, according to a media release received from Bangkok on Friday. "This shocking ordeal and tragedy must not continue. These are human beings – men, women and children. We need to see the states in the region help save lives and not let people die," said Indrika Ratwatte, UNHCR director for Asia and the Pacific. Since the first reports of the boat being sighted in Thai waters, the UNHCR has received unverified information of the vessel being spotted near Indonesia and then subsequently off the coast of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. The boat's current location is reportedly once more back eastwards, in the Andaman sea north of Aceh. The UNHCR repeatedly asked all countries in the region to make saving lives a priority. The agency had alerted the Indian marine rescue centre earlier this week, requesting immediate action to save lives and allow for disembarkation. "It is devastating to learn that many people have already lost their lives, including children," said Ratwatte. "Sadly, this makes it one of the deadliest years in the seas in the region." Read more: UNHCR raises concerns over Afghan refugees forced returns from Tajikistan It is very hard for the UNHCR to verify this information, but if true this will take the number of dead and missing in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea to nearly 200 this year, the UN agency said. This is a shocking number that represents around 10 percent of the estimated 2,000 people who have taken risky sea journeys in the region in 2022.

The depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal has moved west-northwards and intensified into a deep depression. It was centred at about 1625 km southwest of Chattogram port, 1555 km southwest of Cox’s Bazar port, 1580 km southwest of Mongla port and 1550 km southwest of Payra port around 6am on Wednesday, said the Met office bulletin. It is likely to intensify further and move in a west-northwesterly direction. Maximum sustained wind speed within 48 kms of the deep depression centre is about 50 kph rising to 60 kph in gusts or squalls. Also read: Bay depression likely to intensify into cyclonic storm by midnight The sea will remain rough near the deep depression centre. The maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to keep distant cautionary signal number one hoisted. All fishing boats and trawlers over the north Bay and deep sea have been advised to come close to the coast, proceed with caution and not to venture into the deep sea.