18 Rohingya men rescued after boat capsizes off Teknaf; 13 feared missing

At least 18 Rohingya men were rescued after a boat carrying them capsized off the coast of Shah Porir Dwip in Teknaf, Cox's Bazar, this morning. Another 13, including the boatman, remain missing.

According to police and BGB, the boat sank near the Pashchim Para boat landing station. Local fishermen rescued the survivors and handed them over to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), which later handed them over to Teknaf Model Police Station.

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Abdul Mannan, acting chairman of Sabrang union parishad, said the passengers were believed to be fleeing the ongoing fighting between Myanmar’s military and the Arakan Army.

According to fishermen involved in the rescue operation, the boat was carrying 31 people.

"We managed to rescue 18 men, but 13 others, including the boatman, remain unaccounted for. None of those rescued were women or children," one fisherman said.

Lt Col Hanifur Rahman Bhuiyan, commanding officer of BGB Battalion-2 in Teknaf, confirmed the rescue of 18 Rohingyas.

"We are verifying the circumstances under which they entered Bangladesh. More details will be provided after the verification process is completed," he said.

Local sources alleged that the rescued men had previously left Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh and crossed into Myanmar, where they were involved in fighting against the Arakan Army. They reportedly attempted to return to Bangladesh after being caught up in the recent escalation of the conflict.

However, the authorities have not verified these claims.

Teknaf Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Saiful Islam said the 18 rescued Rohingya had been handed over to the police by the BGB.

"We have not yet been able to verify whether they had crossed into Myanmar from the refugee camps in Bangladesh. The matter is under investigation," he said.

He added that police could not independently confirm the number of people still missing.