At least 6 of 37 missing Bangladeshis are from Sylhet

At least six youths among 37 Bangladeshis feared dead in Friday’s boat capsize in the Mediterranean Sea while attempting to reach Italy from Libya were from Sylhet. 
Four among the six youths were Ahmad Hossain, 24, son of Mantu Miah, Abdul Aziz, 25, son of Harun Miah, and Litan Miah, 24, son of Siraj Miah, of Muhidpur village, and Afzal Miah, 26, son of Chan Miah of Dinpur village at Fenchuganj upazila and the rest two were Kamran Ahmed Maruf, 20, son of Yakub Ali of Kadupur village and Mahmud Miah, 25, son of late Rafiq Miah of Haortala village at Golapganj upazila in the district, relatives of the victims said.
Abdul Aziz’s elder brother Mafiz Ahmad told reporters that Litan and Ahmad were his cousins while Afzal was his neighbour.
Quoting his uncle Belal Ahmed, 37, who was fortunate enough to be rescued by the Tunisian fishermen at the Mediterranean Sea on Friday and is now undergoing treatment at a Tunisian hospital, Mafiz said that a boat carrying some 75 youths, most of whom from Bangladesh, had started for Italy from Libya on Thursday.
The human traffickers had transferred some 50 youths to another small boat at Tunisian shore on Friday when the boat sank at the sea and 16 of them, 14 of whom were Bangladeshis, were rescued some 8 hours after the boat had capsized, Mafiz said.
Aziz, Litan, Ahmad and Afzal drowned at the sea, Mafiz informed quoting Belal.
Mafiz said that they had a contract with Enamul Haque, owner of Yahiya Overseas at Raja Mansion in Sylhet city, in December last year to send Aziz, Litan, Ahmad and Afzal to Italy in exchange of Tk 7 lakh against each.
‘My uncle Belal informed us that the agents had informed them that they would send them by a ship,’ Mafiz said. 
He said that they had tried again and again to contact the travel agency owner Enamul Haque but his office remained closed while his mobile phones were switched off since Saturday morning.
Masud, elder brother of Masum, who survived the Friday’s boat capsize and was undergoing treatment at a Tunisian hospital, told reporters quoting Masum that Maruf and Mahmud drowned at sea in front of his own eyes. 
‘We had a contract with an agent to send my brothers to Libya for Tk 8 lakh each. He promised to send my brothers to Libya by air and took them to Dubai some four months back,’ Masud complained. 
When contacted, Kotwali police officer-in-charge Mohammad Selim Miah told New Age on Sunday afternoon that they were not informed about victims’ families being cheated by any travel agent. 
‘Legal steps would be taken after receiving written complaints in this regard,’ the police officer promised.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net