At least 250 people, among them Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals, are missing after a boat capsized in the Andaman Sea while en route to Malaysia, according to the United Nations’ refugee and migration agencies.
Details remain unclear, but Bangladesh Coast Guard spokesperson Lt. Com. Sabbir Alam Suzan told the Associated Press on Wednesday that nine individuals, three Rohingya and six Bangladeshis, were rescued on April 9. Suzan noted that the Bangladesh-flagged vessel M.T. Meghna Pride found the nine people adrift following the capsize and brought them to safety.
As of Wednesday, it was uncertain whether any search operation was underway following the sinking.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said the trawler had departed from Teknaf in Bangladesh’s southern Cox’s Bazar district, carrying a large number of passengers to Malaysia. The agencies attributed the accident to overcrowding, strong winds, and rough seas, which caused the vessel to lose control and sink.
On Wednesday, UNHCR communication officer Shari Nijman in Cox’s Bazar said the agency had no further updates.
Another coast guard media official told the AP by phone that the rescued individuals, eight men and one woman, were safe after being handed over to the coast guard, who then transferred them to police in Teknaf. The official emphasized that the rescue was not part of any formal search operation, as it occurred outside Bangladeshi waters. The crew of the M.T. Meghna Pride carried out the rescue while traveling from Bangladesh’s Chittagong to Indonesia. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with official policy.
UNHCR and IOM said the disappearances highlight the protracted displacement of the Rohingya and the lack of durable solutions. Ongoing violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State makes safe return uncertain, while limited humanitarian aid and restricted access to education and employment in refugee camps continue to drive vulnerable Rohingya to undertake dangerous sea journeys, often lured by false promises of better wages and opportunities abroad.
The agencies urged the international community to increase funding and solidarity to ensure life-saving assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, which currently hosts over one million Rohingya from Myanmar.
