Fortune seekers' yet another tragic mission

Three Bangladeshi migrant workers died on the high seas of dehydration and starvation, in their desperate dash to foreign coasts in search of sustainable jobs.
A boat carrying 21 surviving compatriots of the ill fated workers and 50 Mayanmarese was rescued in critical condition off the Sri Lankan coast yesterday, after being marooned in the sea for almost a fortnight.
Seventeen Myanmarese job seekers also had died of starvation and dehydration on the boat, before it was rescued.
The 71 survivors were taken into custody by the Sri Lankan navy after the boat had been towed from Tamil Tigers held Mullaitivvu district.
Media reports said quoting Sri Lankan navy spokesmen that the survivors had thrown the 20 dead bodies overboard into the sea and they are unlikely to be recovered.
"All the victims are in serious conditions due to prolonged dehydration and starvation. Navy medical teams are presently attending to the victims," a Sri Lankan navy spokesman said.
The Sri Lankan navy also identified the rescued 71 people as 'illegal foreign job seekers'.
A Bangladesh foreign ministry spokesman told The Daily Star last night that they will look into the matter and a high commission representative will be sent out to meet with the survivors soon.
Initial investigations revealed that the boat, which initially had set sail from Myanmar on February 9 and had been on its way to Thailand and Malaysia with 91 illegal immigrants, was drifting since February 21 after its engine had failed.
It was reportedly drifting for 9 days in the Bay of Bengal which is closely monitored by the navies of India and Sri Lanka in collaboration.
The Sri Lankan navy sent two of its deep-sea surveillance units to rescue the survivors aboard the drifting boat after being alerted about it by fishermen.
The 50 Myanmar nationals and 21 Bangladeshis rescued were being transported to Trincomalee harbour at the time of filing this report last night.