12 out of 22 dead victims from Sunamganj

SYLHET, Mar 29: Among the 22 migrants who died aboard a boat while travelling by sea from Libya to Greece, 12 are residents of Sunamganj alone, said officials of Sunamganj district police.
Contacted, the Additional Superintendent of Police, Sunamganj, Sujan Sarkar, told this correspondent this afternoon that they have confirmed the deaths of 12 people so far.
Of them, six are from Derai upazila, five from Jagannathpur upazila and one from Doarabazar upazila. The official said filing of cases would take time; the family or families would have to file those.
However, he could not say anything about bringing the bodies home. It may take time bringing the bodies since the foreign ministry will take the initiative, he said.
Sunamganj Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ilias Mia said that the district administration will file a case against the brokers responsible for the incident.
The bodies of the deceased were thrown into the sea. And those who were rescued have been kept in a camp in Greece. Their identities have been confirmed meantime, the police official said.
A young man from Habiganj reached Greece by boat on March 6. He has been kept at a camp in Greece. Greece's Coast Guard has also kept those rescued on March 27 in the same camp.
Sources said that 22 migrants had died mainly due to shortage of food and clean water, the official added.
The boat lost its way and remained at the sea for six days. This led to a shortage of food and clean water. A young man said that he spoke to the injured people in the camp yesterday. Two of them were admitted to the hospital as their condition was serious while the others were alright.
Most of the deceased were from Sunamganj. However, the injured people could not tell the exact number of dead people.
The dead people were kept on the boat for two days and then their bodies were thrown into the sea.
People were sent from Libya to Greece in small boats with limited food. Identities of the 12 dead have been confirmed after talking to the police, family members, neighbours and public representatives.
The deceased from Derai have been identified as Nuruzzaman Sardar Moyna, 30, son of Abu Sayeed Sardar of Tarapasha village; Sajidur Rahman, 28, son of Abdul Gani; Shahan Mia, 25, son of Islam Uddin; and Mujibur Rahman, 38, son of Abdul Malek of Ranarchar village.
The families of the deceased in Sunamganj are now mourning and demanding justice for the brokers responsible for the incident.

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