On Tuesday, 30 Malaysia-bound Rohingya refugees were rescued by Bangladesh coast guard officials.
According to the source, Rohingyas from various refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh were rescued off the coast of Baharchhara, Teknaf as they were found drifting in the sea after the pirates took away their belongings and destroyed the boat engine.
Later on Wednesday, they were sent to Bhashan Char island. A Bangladeshi coastguard spokesman Lt. Commander Amirul Haque said, “The trawler carrying Rohingya was floating in the sea for around five days waiting for a big ship bound for Malaysia and was seized by robbers. The robbers destroyed the engine of the trawler after looting the Rohingya’s belongings.”
Asif Munir, an immigration and refugee affairs analyst urged that “It’s a wrong decision to send them to Bhashan Char instead of returning them to their camps.”
