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Published : 18 Jun 2026, 01:10 AM
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police has arrested a Sunamganj resident over the deaths of 18 Bangladeshi youths who were caught in a migrant boat capsize while illegally crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.
Mohammad Mikail Islam, 52, is a member of an “organised human trafficking gang”. He was arrested in Sylhet on Monday afternoon, the CID said on Wednesday.
The CID arrested another person named Rabbani Farazi, 35, in Khulna on charges of torturing and demanding ransom from Bangladeshis hoping to migrate to Europe by crossing the Mediterranean Sea.
Rabbi and his two brothers are “members of an international human trafficking ring”, according to the CID.
At least 12 men from Sunamganj died on Mar 28 due to a lack of food and drinking water while crossing the sea from Libya to Greece.
Of them, six were from Derai Upazila, five from Jagannathpur Upazila and one from Dowarabazar Upazila.
A case was filed with Derai Police the same day, saying Mikail and one of the victims were from the same village.
The human traffickers demanded Tk 1.3 million in two instalments from the young man's family, promising to send him to Greece.
The family was asked to pay Tk 550,000 for his flight to Libya and the rest after his promised arrival in Greece.
The CID said the men lost their way after drifting at sea for six days without food or drink due to adverse weather conditions upon reaching Libya from Dhaka.
Several people died of hunger, thirst and extreme fatigue, it said, adding that the survivors told rescuers the bodies were dumped in the middle of the sea on the traffickers' instructions.
