Treacherous journey ends in tragedy: 15 Rohingyas drown, 50 still missing

At least 15 Rohingyas were killed as a trawler sank in the Bay of Bengal near St Martin's Island in Teknaf upazila early yesterday. They were trying to go to Malaysia illegally.

The victims -- 11 women and four children -- were residents of different Rohingya camps in Teknaf and Ukhia upazilas.

Apart from the victims, 72 people, including four boatmen, were rescued, while 50 others are feared missing.

The trawler capsized around 5:45am near Zinjira point, some 8km northwest of the St Martin's Island, after running aground, said coast guard officials.

Some fishermen, who were catching fish in the Bay, saw the incident and informed the coast guard of the matter, said Naim-ul-Haque, commander of coast guard's St Martin's Island station.

Coast guard members went to the spot around 7:30am and started a rescue operation in association with the navy, he added.

Talking to journalists, a navy official said there were 138 people, including 136 Rohingyas, in the trawler. They were going to Malaysia illegally after human traffickers lured them into taking the risky journey.

They started the journey from Noakhali Para area beside the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf marine drive Monday night, said SM Zahidul Islam, Lt commander of navy's St Martin's Island station.

Navy and coast guard personnel were conducting the rescue operation till filing of the report at 9:00pm. Navy's salvage vessel -- Durjoy -- joined the operation, he added. 

Two navy helicopters also took part in the operation.

Survivor Khaleda Begum, 35, said her husband is now in Malaysia. That is why, she along with her son and daughter went for the journey.

"The trawler capsized early in the morning. I could survive by holding a part of the trawler. But my son and daughter died," said Khaleda, who lives in Kutupalong Rohingya camp in Ukhia.

The deceased's bodies and the survivors were taken to St Martin's Island jetty around 10:00am. The survivors were given primary treatment there. Around 3:30pm, the bodies and the survivors were sent to Teknaf Police Station, said coast guard officials.  

Pradip Kumar Das, officer-in-charge of the police station, told The Daily Star that he received the bodies and the survivors around 6:00pm.

The bodies were sent to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsies.

A case will be filed under the anti-human trafficking law, and the survivors will be shown arrested in the case, the OC said.

They will be produced before a local court today, and police will take steps as per the court directive, he added.

Coast guard official Delwar Hossain said four of the 72 survivors were members of a human trafficking syndicate.

One of them told the coast guard that they took Tk 30,000 from each person. They took the people on small fishing trawlers from different points in Teknaf. The people were then put onto a large trawler.

Police detained the four.

Meanwhile, the district administration has directed the local civil surgeon to keep a medical team ready for treating the survivors, said Kamal Hossain, deputy commissioner of Cox's Bazar.

Locals said the Noakhali Para area is considered a safe place for human trafficking as the area is located adjacent to the sea.

At least 80 people, mostly Rohingyas, were detained by police, BGB, and coast guard from different places of Teknaf and Ukhia between October last year to January 20 this year when they were trying to go to Malaysia illegally.

REACTIONS

Different rights bodies yesterday expressed shock at the deaths of Rohingya refugees.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and UNHCR in a joint statement expressed grief at the tragic loss of lives and said the two organisations were standing by to offer assistance to the government in responding to the needs of the survivors, be it food, shelter or medical aid.

In a statement, Athena Rayburn, Save the Children's humanitarian advocacy manager in Cox's Bazar, said Rohingya families, including children, were willing to risk their lives on dangerous sea journeys to escape a life of misery and suffering.

The greater need there is for refugee children to have access to basic services, including formal and accredited education. "The tragic drowning of women and children in the Bay of Bengal today [yesterday] should be a wake-up call for all."

Terming the accident "avoidable tragedy", Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK) President Tun Khin said, "It is harrowing that Rohingyas are so desperate to build better lives for themselves that they risk everything on dangerous journeys by sea."

"This must also be a wake-up call to the international community to continue to push Myanmar to improve conditions for Rohingya, including by heeding the provisional measures imposed by the International Court of Justice last month."