15 Rohingyas die as Malaysia-bound boat capsizes off Bangladesh coast
A total of 15 Rohingyas, including 11 women and four children, died and dozens remained missing as an overcrowded mechanised fishing boat packed with 138 Rohingyas trying to reach Malaysia illegally capsized in the Bay of Bengal about 10 kilometres west of Southpara coast of Saint Martin’s Island of Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar early Tuesday, a Bangladesh Coast Guard official said.
Besides, 72 Rohingyas, including three suspected traffickers, were rescued alive from the Bay, Coast Guard’s Saint Martin Island station commander Naimul Hoque told New Age.
All the victims are residents of different Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar, he said.
The news of Rohingyas’ illegal voyage to Malaysia through sea by mechanised boats came against the backdrop of Bangladesh’s law enforcement agencies’ frequent nabbing of human traffickers and Rohingyas trying to reach Malaysia by boat illegally.
After the early Tuesday’s boat capsize, the Coast Guard and Bangladesh Navy members found the capsized boat with a body of a women inside it.
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The Malaysia-bound boat had 138 people on board, of which two were crew while the rest were Rohingya passengers, capsized in the Bay after hitting an underwater coral reef at about 4:30am, officials said, quoting the rescued victims.
During capsize, as the victims started to cry for help fishermen nearby informed the Coast Guard and Navy officials who rushed to the spot and began a rescue operation, they said.
They also said that the local people and the fishermen assisted them in the rescue operation.
Coast Guard station commander Naimul Hoque, quoting the victims, said that as they found bodies of 15 and rescued 72, they were yet to find out 51 other Rohingyas, including the crew.
He said that some of the Rohingyas must have reached St Martin’s coast by swimming before the members of Coast Guard and Navy arrived.
`So the number of missing ones may be less than 51,’ he assumed.
He also added that two mechanised fishing boats left Monakhali and Moheskhaliapara under Teknaf police station for Malaysia with over 250 Rohingya people at about 8:00pm on Monday and, one of the trawlers capsized about 10 kilometres off the Saint Martin’s Island.
Bangladesh Navy ship BNS Durjoy, Coast Guard Bangladesh ship Mansor Ali joined the rescue operation, he added.
The whereabouts of the remaining mechanised boat could not be known, he said.
`Rescued Rohingyas told Coast Guard officials that they were willingly migrating to Malaysia in search a better life and freedom,’ Naimul said, adding that the rescued victims identified three Rohingyas among the rescued 72 as human traffickers.
He said that they handed over all 72 rescued victims to the Teknaf police for taking next legal steps.
Rescued Rohingyas under police custody said that the human traffickers had taken Tk 20,000 to Tk 50,000 promising them good jobs there and a safe journey to Malaysia by trawlers.
Earlier on November 15, 2019, Coast Guard members intercepted a wooden boat carrying 119 Rohingyas, including 58 women and 14 children, bound for Malaysia as it was about to sink in the Bay.
On May 30, 2019, Coast Guard members rescued 58 Rohingyas from a fishing boat and stopped them from making the hazardous journey to Malaysia by sea and arrested two suspected traffickers.
On February 14, 2019, police stopped 43 Rohingya refugees from being smuggled to Malaysia by boat with a dozen women claiming they were abducted by traffickers.
On November 7, 2018, coast guard rescued 33 Rohingyas — 14 men, 10 women and nine children — and detained six alleged human traffickers from a fishing trawler headed for Malaysia in the Bay of Bengal.
On November 30, 2018, police rescued 10 Rohingyas, including six women, and arrested a suspected human trafficker who was about to take them to Malaysia by boat.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
