A boat carrying Rohingya refugees fleeing from Myanmar capsized in the Bay of Bengal near Teknaf’s Shah Porir Dwip in Cox’s Bazar. The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has so far rescued 25 individuals, including women and children, while several others—along with a missing BGB soldier—remain unaccounted for.
The incident occurred around 2:30 AM on Saturday near the western coast of Shah Porir Dwip. The missing BGB soldier, a sepoy, was stationed at the Shah Porir Dwip BGB Border Outpost (BOP) in Teknaf.
Confirming the incident, Lt. Col. Md. Ashiqur Rahman, Commanding Officer of Teknaf-2 BGB Battalion, stated, “We have rescued 25 Rohingya, including children, from the sea. The BGB’s rescue operation is ongoing.” However, he did not comment on the missing BGB personnel.
According to Abdul Mannan, a local Union Parishad member, “I have heard about the boat carrying Rohingya capsizing in the sea, and reports suggest that a BGB soldier is among the missing. I am heading to the scene.”
Locals reported that a boat, overloaded with Rohingya refugees, was spotted floating near the western shore of Shah Porir Dwip. Upon seeing the vessel, BGB personnel and local fishermen on a boat owned by Mohammad Amin attempted to intercept it. As BGB personnel boarded the Rohingya vessel, strong waves overturned the boat, plunging its passengers into the sea.
Hearing distress calls, local fishermen and BGB teams launched an immediate rescue operation, managing to save 25 Rohingya refugees. However, survivors claimed that over 50 people were on board when the boat capsized.
Mohammad Amin, the owner of the Bangladeshi fishing boat, stated, “The BGB soldier took my boat out to stop the Rohingya vessel. As they were bringing it ashore, waves overturned it, leading to the tragedy. So far, 25 people have been rescued, but one BGB sepoy is still missing.”
A search operation is ongoing in the Bay of Bengal to locate the missing BGB soldier and other Rohingya refugees.
By Abdur Rashid Manik
Photo: Courtesy
