Staff Reporter:
At least 18 Rohingyas were rescued and 13 others, including the boatmen, remained missing after a boat carrying Rohingyas capsized off Shah Porir Dwip in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar on Friday morning.
The incident occurred at around 8am near the Shah Porir Dwip Pashchim Para boat terminal while the passengers were reportedly attempting to enter Bangladesh from Myanmar.
The rescued individuals were later handed over to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
Acting Chairman of Sabrang Union Parishad Abdul Mannan said the passengers were fleeing ongoing clashes between Myanmar’s government forces and the Arakan Army (AA) when the boat capsized near the coast.
Local fisherman Md Ismail said the boat was carrying 31 people.
“We managed to rescue 18 people, but 13 others are still missing. None of those rescued are women or children,” he said.
Commanding Officer of BGB-2 Teknaf, Lieutenant Colonel Hanifur Rahman Bhuiyan, confirmed that 18 people had been rescued and were currently in BGB custody.
He said authorities were verifying the circumstances under which they entered Bangladesh and would provide further details after completing the inquiry.
