Many people, driven by dreams of escaping poverty, often sell their homes, land, or their family’s last possessions in pursuit of opportunities abroad. Hoping to build a better future for their loved ones, they place their trust in the deceptive promises of traffickers. But, for some, that dream journey turns into a fatal voyage.
A tragic incident in the Mediterranean Sea in March this year has become one such painful chapter, in which 18 Bangladeshi migrants lost their lives due to starvation, dehydration, and unbearable suffering. One of the victims was Masum (not real name). Survivors later reported the bodies of those who died were thrown into the sea on the traffickers’ instructions.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested a suspected member of a human trafficking ring allegedly linked to the tragedy. The arrested individual, Mohammad Mikail Islam, 52, is a resident of Dirai upazila in Sunamganj district. He was apprehended in the Sylhet airport area on June 15.
CID Special Superintendent of Police (Media), Jasim Uddin Khan, confirmed the matter on Wednesday.
According to CID sources, a boat carrying 45 migrants, including 18 Bangladeshis, left Libya for Greece in March last. The vessel became stranded in the Mediterranean Sea for several days, leaving passengers without adequate food and water. Severe hunger, dehydration, and exhaustion claimed the lives of at least 18 Bangladeshi migrants.
