Noakhali: The bodies of seven Bangladeshi fishermen out of 17, who had gone missing while fishing in the Bay-of-Bengal over two weeks ago, were recovered from a river in Chabbish Paragana of West Bengal in India on Tuesday.

The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately.

Hatiya fish traders association general secretary Khokon Miah said a fishing trawler named F-D Nurul Alam which had left Katakhai ghat at Jahajmara union in Hatiya upazila over two weeks ago , went missing in the Bay amid inclement weather.

Police of Chabbish Paragana recovered the floating bodies of seven fishermen from a river at Patharghata Pratima thana with the help of local fishermen and contacted with the fishermen of Katakhali ghat in Hatiya upazila after getting contact numbers from the cell phones of the deceased fishermen, he said.

The bodies were kept at a local hospital morgue in Chabbish Paragana, he said.

A fishing trawler, presumed to be F-D Nurul Alam, was also recovered from the same area.

Hatiya upazila nirbahi officer Abu Hasnat Mohammad Moinuddin said he came to know the matter from the family members of the deceased.

The 17 missing fishermen were Jafar, Rasheduddin, Tajul Islam, Mirajuddin, Swapan, Farhaduddin, Jahir, Moniruddin, Md Miraj, Meheraj, Sohel, Salahuddin, Sirajuddin, Nishan, Rahim, Roman and Didaruddin-residents of Jahajmara and Nijhumdwip unions.