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Letters to the Editor

Trawler capsize in the Bay

February 15, 2020 00:00:00


It is the relatives of the Rohingya people living in Malaysia who paid money to brokers from Tk 30,000 to Tk 35,000 to take them to the Southeast Asian country by way of a dangerous route. The brokers were taking Rohingya living in Teknaf and Ukhia in Cox's Bazar to Malaysia. To take them out of the camps, these brokers were reportedly given Tk 3,000 each.

The trawler sank with 138 passengers on February 11. Bodies of 15 people were recovered and 73 people rescued while many were missing. Such a boat journey captured global headlines when there were a few accidents in the last decade. Such stories are common in the Mediterranean sea.

It seems that the situation in Cox's Bazar after the Rohingya were given shelter is not ideal. The stateless Myanmar people are living in a desperate situation in refugee camps but illegal migration across the sea is not any solution for them. There should be proper surveillance apart from awareness campaign to stop such trafficking. At the same time, Bangladesh needs to continue diplomatic efforts to ensure dignified repatriation of the Rohingya people to their Myanmar homes.

MA Islam

Dhanmondi, Dhaka


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