A cattle-laden trawler capsized in the Padma river near pillar number 15 of the Padma Bridge on Monday afternoon, leaving one person and 23 cows missing.

Police said the trawler was heading to Keraniganj from Charbhadrasan in Faridpur when it sank around 2:30pm.

Of the 20 people on board, 19 managed to swim ashore, but Ayub Mia, 45, of Charbhadrasan, remains missing.

Out of 28 cows being transported, only five were rescued alive.

Md Elias, in-charge of Mawa River Police, confirmed the incident, saying the trawler sank in the middle of the river during a storm.

The official said strong currents and hostile weather prevented fire service divers from launching immediate rescue operations.

The search for the missing man will begin once conditions improve.