DHAKA – A ship carrying no fewer than 600 persons was seized by the Bangladeshi Navy on Monday as it attempted to illegally transport its passengers to Malaysia, officials said.
Lt.-Col. Commander Mostafa Kamal told newsmen in Dhaka.
“The passenger boat was intercepted at Saint Martin’s Island in the Bay of Bengal.
“The passenger ship was being brought to shore.
“Around 90 per cent of the migrants are believed to be Bangladeshi nationals, while the others could be Rohingya from neighbouring Myanmar.
“The migrants’ destination was Malaysia, ’’ Kamal added.
Report says Bangladesh has a memorandum of understanding with Malaysia to regulate recruitment processes and procedures for workers.
He said that the country had intercepted risky outbound voyages in the past.
“Passengers from Bangladesh and Myanmar, especially the stateless Rohingya ethnic group, frequently sail through the Bay of Bengal to reach Malaysia.
“Also to reach Thailand and other South-East Asian countries after paying local agents to migrate illegally,’’ Kamal stressed.
According to him, in October, Thai security forces reportedly rescued 130 Bangladeshi nationals who travelled along the sea route to the South-East Asian country for better jobs. (dpa/NAN)
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