Bangladesh charges 24 people with human trafficking after refugee boat disaster

Six of them named in the case are arrested, police say

Authorities have brought charges of human trafficking against 24 people, including some from the Rohingya community, over attempting to illegally ferry refugees to Malaysia on a trawler that ended up at the bottom of the Bay of Bengal.

SI Husne Mubarak of Baharchhara Investigation Centre filed the case with Teknaf police as plaintiff on Wednesday.

Md Shahid Ullah from Sabrang Union’s Katabania area in Teknaf is the prime suspect in the case.

Md Rashid, 26, and Md Sharif, 20, from Ukhiya’s Balukhali Rohingya camp, Md Selim, 24, and Qurban Ali, 34, from Maheshkhali’s Kutubjom village, Md Abdullah, 20, from Hazipara’s Eidgah area and Shahid Ullah, 28, from Katabania were shown arrested in the case.

Teknaf Model Police Station chief Md Hafizur Rahman said they are on the hunt for the others accused in the case.

“The arrested confessed that they are linked to human trafficking in initial interrogation. They were sent to court on Wednesday afternoon,” he said.

Rescue workers recovered the bodies of three Rohingya women and a child after the trawler sank off the coast of Cox's Bazar's Teknaf in the small hours of Tuesday.

Coastguards rescued 45 people, including eight Rohingya women, four Bangladeshi nationals and brokers.