Arakan News Agency | Exclusive
On Tuesday, the Bangladeshi Navy detained a fishing boat carrying 214 Rohingya individuals in the Teknaf area, as they attempted to cross the Bay of Bengal to Malaysia.
According to a press release issued by the Bangladeshi Armed Forces, the navy detected suspicious activity from the fishing boat approximately 44 nautical miles southwest of Saint Martin’s Island, The naval warship immediately approached the boat and intercepted it.
The statement explained that after inspecting the boat, 214 individuals were found on board, including 118 men, 68 women, and 28 children all of them Rohingya who were attempting to travel to Malaysia with the intention of entering the country illegally.
The statement noted that the fishing boat embarked on this dangerous voyage without the minimum safety conditions, such as rescue equipment, sufficient food and water, or protective measures. This could have led to a humanitarian disaster at sea, but the swift and effective intervention of the Bangladeshi navy prevented that from happening.
The Rohingya activist, “Saif Al-Arkani” reported that the journey began on April 7th from the “Samalapur” area in “Teknaf,” heading towards Malaysia to escape the genocide committed by the Arakan Army (separatist).
He added to the Arakan News Agency that if the Bangladeshi navy had not rescued them, they would have likely perished while attempting to cross to Malaysia. He pointed out that they were handed over to the “Teknaf Model Thana” police station.
He explained that the boat owner, named “M F Abdulrahim,” resides between Thailand and Malaysia, He is a professional human trafficker who has been operating in this field since 2008 and has not been held accountable before the law to this day.
On March 22, a boat carrying Rohingya refugees sank off the coast of Teknaf. The Bangladeshi Border Guard, with the help of fishermen, successfully rescued 25 people, including women and children, out of approximately 50 individuals who were on board, according to survivors.
The attempts of the Rohingya to flee Myanmar continue, as they face violence, killings, and forced recruitment by the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army, in search of safety in neighboring countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, This is especially true after the “genocidal” campaign launched against them by the military council’s forces since 2017.
This incident reflects the dire situation faced by the Rohingya, who are risking death on perilous sea journeys, with many similar incidents occurring. One such tragedy was the drowning of 73 Rohingya refugees in the Bay of Bengal last November, as they were heading to Thailand.
