Tuesday, October 4, 2022

Malaysia-bound trawler sinks off Teknaf coast: 3 Rohingya bodies recovered

The police recovered the bodies of three Rohingya women in the sinking of a trawler bound for Malaysia while smuggling by sea in Cox's Bazar's Teknaf. 45 people were rescued alive in this incident. Among them, 4 Bangladeshis, 33 Rohingya men and 8 women. Teknaf Baharchhara police outpost in-charge inspector Noor Mohammad said that the bodies of three women were recovered from the sea shore at Shilkhali in Baharchhara union of Teknaf around 1 o'clock on Tuesday. According to the information given by the fishermen, more bodies are floating in the sea. Earlier, the Coast Guard rescued 45 people, including four Bangladeshis, who swam to the lake in the trawler sinking incident.

Md Delwar Hossain, Contingent Commander of Teknaf's Baharchhara Outpost Station of Coast Guard, said that the trawler drowned in the coastal sea of Holbonia Para area of Teknaf Upazila's Baharchhara Union on Tuesday morning. Among those rescued, 8 women and 33 men are Rohingya and four others are Bangladeshis. The Coast Guard official said that the number of people in the trawler has not yet been confirmed. The rescued Rohingya said that many more are floating in the sea. More deaths are expected. According to rescuers, the trawler sank about 3 km from the coast. There were more than a hundred Malaysians in the trawler.

Talking to some of those who were rescued, they said that many of them traveled to Malaysia on the condition of paying various sums of money at the instigation of the brokers. But the trawler sank while carrying extra people to the larger trawler waiting in the middle of the sea. Those who were able to swim to the pool came. Others are missing.

According to the information provided by them, the Dalal gang picked up hundreds of men and women from Ukhiya's Kutupalong, Lambashia, Balukhali, Madhurchhara camps and brought them to a house in Holbania village of Baharchhara union in Teknaf.

Hafizur Rahman, OC of Teknaf Model Police Station, said that the trawler carrying the Rohingyas sank when they tried to go to Malaysia by sea. They were later rescued alive with the help of the Coast Guard. But some others are still missing. Rescue operation is still going on.

Tarek, a local youth of Shamlapur in Teknaf, said, I went out for a walk in the sea at dawn. I saw some people there shouting "Save, Save". Later I heard that their trawler had sunk. After informing the Coast Guard, they took a boat and rescued them.