Cyclone Arnab catches 10,000 fishers off guard at start of dried fish season 

BAGERHAT, Oct 31: At the very start of the season, around 10,000 fishermen who had come to the dried fish villages at Dubalar Char in the eastern Sundarban of Bagerhat have been caught in adverse weather.
The fishermen, positioned at four chars - Alorkol, Majherkella, Narkelbaria and Shellarchar - could not complete their preparations. 

Due to adverse weather on Friday morning, these fishermen who had come to Dubala were forced to take safe shelter in various canals of the Sundarban with their boats and fishing trawlers. The fishermen found themselves in this situation because of stormy winds blowing over the Bay of Bengal due to Cyclone Arnab. Dubala Fishermen Group and the Sundarban Division confirmed this information.

Bir Muktijoddha Md. Kamal Uddin Ahmed, President of the Dubala Fishermen Group, said over mobile phone from Alorkol in Dubala of the Sundarban on Friday afternoon that on the very first day of this year's dried fish season, the fishermen have been struck by disaster. The fleet of 10,000 fishermen set off from their localities at midnight on Thursday and reached Alorkol, Majherkella, Narikelbaria and Shellarchar in Dubala on Friday morning. 

Unable to build their temporary huts and fish storage pits after coming ashore in the disaster-like weather throughout the day, the fishermen took safe shelter in various canals of the Sundarban with their boats and fishing trawlers. Due to Cyclone Arnab, continuous rain along with stormy winds is blowing over the sea. The president of the Dubala Fishermen Group also said that huge waves are crashing on the turbulent sea and the rivers and canals of the Sundarban.