DHAKA, BANGLADESH— A Rohingya survivor has shared a chilling account of a deadly sea journey that ended in disaster after an overcrowded vessel carrying refugees capsized in the Andaman Sea, leaving an estimated 250 people missing.
The ill-fated boat, which set off from Teknaf in southern Bangladesh en route to Malaysia, sank during the second week of April. According to the United Nations’ refugee and migration agencies, the tragedy was triggered by a combination of rough seas, powerful winds, and extreme overcrowding.
Bangladesh currently shelters about 1.2 million Rohingya refugees, most of whom fled brutal violence in Myanmar in 2017. Despite the dangers, many continue to embark on risky sea voyages in search of safety and better living conditions abroad.
Survivors revealed that nearly 300 people — including women, children, crew members, and suspected human traffickers — were crammed onto the vessel under inhumane conditions.
One of the survivors, Rafiqul Islam, recounted how passengers endured four agonising days and nights at sea as conditions worsened. To evade maritime patrols, traffickers reportedly forced many passengers into tiny storage compartments meant for fish and fishing gear.
“There was hardly any oxygen,” Islam said, describing the suffocating environment. “We could not breathe.”
He added that at least 30 people died from suffocation even before the boat capsized.
When the vessel finally overturned, panic erupted as hundreds were thrown into the open sea. Islam estimated that about 240 people were still onboard at the time of the accident, including around 20 women and several children. Only a small number managed to survive.
Islam was among the few who initially escaped death. He and three others were rescued by a passing Bangladeshi oil vessel. They quickly alerted the crew, prompting a search that led to the rescue of five more survivors.
“They later found five more people,” he said, his voice heavy with grief.
He further described the dangerous, multi-stage journey that began on April 4. Passengers were first transported on a small fishing boat before being transferred to a larger trawler near Myanmar waters. At one point, they were forced to hide in bushes along the coast to avoid detection by security patrols.
The tragedy once again underscores the desperation of Rohingya refugees, many of whom continue to risk their lives on perilous sea routes to countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.
Humanitarian agencies warn that the situation is becoming increasingly dire. A recent report by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), based on a survey of 500 households in Cox’s Bazar, found that only 2 percent of Rohingya parents feel hopeful about their children’s future — a stark contrast to 84 percent among host communities.
With food assistance slashed to as little as $7 per person per month, families are being pushed to the brink. Nearly 69 percent of refugee households reported children dropping out of school, while about half said their children have been forced into labour to support the family.
The IRC is now calling on international donors and authorities to move beyond short-term emergency aid and invest in long-term solutions, warning that without sustained support, both refugees and host communities could face worsening poverty and deepening vulnerability.
Sources: Reuters
