A massive humanitarian tragedy is feared after a trawler carrying over 250 Bangladeshis and Rohingya refugees capsized in the Andaman Sea.
The vessel reportedly bound for Malaysia, sank due to rough weather and extreme overcrowding.
The incident came to light after the Bangladeshi-flagged merchant ship MT Meghna Pride rescued nine survivors eight men and one woman floating in international waters. The survivors were later handed over to the Bangladesh Coast Guard ship Mansur Ali.
According to harrowing survivor accounts the trawler named Tanjina Sultana departed from the Teknaf coast on April 4. Rafiqul Islam a Rohingya survivor, claimed traffickers lured them with job offers before confining them in inhumane conditions in Teknaf. He estimated that around 280 people were crammed onto the vessel, including women and children.
"Before the ship sank, 25 to 30 people died of suffocation because traffickers forced us into fish storage compartments" Rafiqul alleged. The boat eventually overturned after being hit by massive waves on April 8.
In a joint statement the UNHCR and IOM highlighted that shrinking humanitarian aid and lack of hope in refugee camps are driving people to take such "deadly sea journeys."
Teknaf Model Police have filed a case under the Human Trafficking Act. While three victims have been sent home six of the rescued individuals are being treated as suspected traffickers and have been sent to jail. Police admit the exact death toll remains unconfirmed as investigations continue.
