Uncertainty over repatriation of the stateless Rohingya refugees has led them to take the dangerous sea route to reach Malaysia amid life risk. As the ongoing political turmoil and armed conflicts in the Myanmar has made the repatriation of the displaced Rohingyas more difficult, they are getting frustrated and demoralised day by day. Therefore, by using the dangerous sea route, traffickers are helping Rohingyas reach Malaysia where they begin working as illegal immigrants.
Many of the Rohingyas perished or went missing at the rough sea during their journey. But they are still embarking on dangerous journeys across the Bay of Bengal to reach Malaysia.
The sea route from Bangladesh to Malaysia, via Thailand, was first used by Rohingyas in the mid-1990s. Bangladesh Coast Guard detained 40 people, including 29 Rohingya refugees, in the early hours of Tuesday after a trawler carrying them capsized in the Bay of Bengal off Teknaf coast. The trawler capsized around 6am near Baharchhara area of Teknaf. It is not clear yet how many Rohingyas were in the trawler.However, the people who were rescued said they saw many more people floating in the sea. Therefore, it is feared that many people might have drowned.
The world community should
come forward and to take stringent
measure to stop human trafficking
As they cried for help, fishermen of the fishing trawlers threw buoys and containers to them and using those they tried to float. They all were trying to go to Malaysia illegally travelling by a boat with help of some middlemen.
Earlier, in May Bangladesh coastguard and navy team had also rescued 116 Malaysia-bound migrants, including several children, from a boat that had been abandoned by its crew in the Bay of Bengal.
Apart from Rohingya refugees, many Bangladeshi youths are also taking risky and secret boat trips to Malaysia, seeking work there as illegal immigrants. Therefore, the Rohingyas and many Bangladeshis try to reach Malaysia illegally resulting in tragic and frequent deaths in their perilous journey through the sea.
The organised international criminals groups in association with the local human traffickers are luring Rohingyas and our youths into such danger with the promise of a job and luxurious life in Malaysia. We think these are heinous crimes and grave violations of human rights. Therefore, the world community should come forward and to take stringent measure to stop human trafficking. It should be the priority of all countries across the globe to work together to this end.
