Two people died as a fishing boat capsized in the Bay of Bengal near Hatia in Noakhali early today.

Locals recovered bodies and rescued 20 fishermen. The deceased were identified as Abul Hashem, 50, and his nephew Md Jewel, 25, of Kalichar village.

Two other fishermen remain missing.

The boat capsized in the Bay of Bengal, 35 kilometres south of the Burir Dona Notun Sluice Ghat area of ​​Kalichar between 12:00am and 1:00am.

Hatia Police Station's Officer-in-charge Touhidul Anwar said that a police team went to the spot. Efforts are underway to rescue the missing fishermen, he added.

Hatia Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ibn Al Zayed Hossain said that the bodies were handed over to their families.

Nizam Uddin Choudhuri, a local, said that on Wednesday night, 24 fishermen went for fishing with a boat. The incident took place while they were returning home.