A humanitarian disaster in the Mediterranean has claimed the lives of at least 22 migrants traveling from Libya to Greece. While official confirmation is pending, various media reports indicate that 18 of the deceased are Bangladeshi nationals, including 10 from the Sunamganj district.
The victims reportedly died from extreme hunger and thirst during the arduous sea voyage. According to survivors, passengers fell ill one by one as food and water supplies ran out. Smugglers allegedly ordered the bodies to be thrown overboard into the sea.
Private sources identify the Sunamganj victims as residents of Dirai, Jagannathpur, and Doarabazar upazilas.
Nuruzzaman Sardar Moyna (30), Sajidur Rahman (28), Shahan Mia (25), and Mujibur Rahman (38).
Abu Fahim. Sohanur Rahman, Shaykh Ahmed, Md. Naeem, Aminur Rahman, and Mohammad Ali.
Grieving relatives alleged they paid a local trafficker in Dirai 12 lakh BDT per person for safe passage to Greece. Although promised a large, secure vessel, the migrants were instead crowded onto a small, risky boat.
Umed Ali, a local journalist and uncle of victim Nuruzzaman, shared that another youth from the same village survived the journey and witnessed the bodies being cast into the water. Local representatives, including Chilaura Haldipur UP Chairman Shahidul Islam Bakul, have confirmed reports of the deaths within their jurisdictions.
Sunamganj authorities remain cautious. Dirai Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sanjib Sarkar noted that while local reports are circulating, no families have officially contacted the administration. Additional Superintendent of Police Sujan Sarkar added that while four victims are suspected to be from Dirai, official verification from diplomatic channels is still awaited.
Local residents have called on the government to repatriate any recoverable remains and take strict legal action against the human trafficking rings responsible for these deaths.
