A boat carrying 31 Rohingyas capsized off the coast of Shahparirdwip in Teknaf on Friday morning leaving 13 people missing. Local fishermen rescued 18 male survivors who are currently in the custody of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
The incident occurred around 8:00 a.m. amid ongoing clashes across the border between Myanmar’s military and the Arakan Army (AA).
According to Sabrang Union Parishad Acting Chairman Abdul Mannan, the group was attempting to enter Bangladesh to escape the escalating violence. However local fisherman Md. Ismail who assisted in the rescue noted the absence of women and children among the survivors. Both Ismail and an anonymous government official alleged that the men had previously left Bangladeshi refugee camps to fight in Myanmar and were now attempting to return.
Teknaf 2 BGB Commander Lt. Col. Hanifur Rahman Bhuiyan confirmed the rescue. He stated that authorities are verifying their identities and the exact reasons for their border crossing with further details to be announced following the investigation.
Bangladesh currently hosts approximately 1.25 million registered Rohingyas across 33 camps in Ukhia and Teknaf the vast majority of whom fled a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in August 2017. Search and rescue operations for the remaining 13 missing individuals, including the boatman are ongoing.
