Staff Reporter :
Amid the ongoing Rohingya infiltration, a member of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) drowned in the Bay of Bengal near Shahporir Dwip in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar on Friday, while attempting to intercept a boat carrying Rohingya.
The boat also sank, leading to the rescue of 24 Rohingya, including one deceased, while the BGB member and 15 to 20 Rohingya remain missing.
The incident occurred late on Friday night at the west fishing ghat of Ward No. 7 of Shahporir Dwip in Sabrang Union, Teknaf.
Local sources reported that BGB members stationed at the post rushed to the area after receiving information that a group of Rohingya was attempting to infiltrate through the southwest ghat of Sabrang Zero Point by boat under the cover of darkness.
The BGB members intercepted the boat and tried to turn it away, but during the operation, the boat capsized and sank.
A BGB member fell into the sea and went missing, while several Rohingya from the sunken boat managed to swim ashore. Locals confirmed that women are among the missing and that search operations involving the BGB, Coast Guard, and local residents are ongoing in the Bay of Bengal to locate the missing individuals.
Lieutenant Colonel Ashikur Rahman, the commanding officer of Teknaf-2 BGB Battalion, acknowledged the boat capsize incident and stated, “A boat carrying Rohingya fleeing from Myanmar capsized, and so far, 25 Rohingya, including children, have been rescued alive. Search and rescue operations are ongoing in the sea.” However, he did not comment on the missing BGB member.
This incident is a stark reminder of the ongoing Rohingya infiltration into Bangladesh, despite the country already hosting over 1.3 million Rohingya refugees who fled violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in August 2017. The influx has placed immense pressure on Bangladesh’s resources, particularly in Cox’s Bazar, where the world’s largest refugee settlement is located.
The BGB and other law enforcement agencies have been working tirelessly to prevent illegal crossings.
The infiltration attempts are driven by the dire conditions in Myanmar, where the Rohingya face systemic persecution and violence. However, Bangladesh, already struggling to support its existing refugee population, is finding it increasingly difficult to manage new arrivals.
Despite repeated appeals from the United Nations and humanitarian organisations, international donor support has been dwindling. In 2023, the UN’s Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis received only a fraction of the required funding, leaving critical programmes underfunded and forcing cuts to essential services such as food, healthcare, and education.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has repeatedly urged the international community to continue supporting the Rohingya refugees, emphasising that failure to do so could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe. Recently, he also visited Rohingya camps to observe the ground reality.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has initiated plans to hold an international conference in the latter half of this year at the UN Headquarters to garner global support for resolving the crisis.
The funding crisis has already had severe consequences. In March 2023, the World Food Programme (WFP) was forced to reduce food rations for Rohingya refugees from $12 per person per month to just $10, far below the recommended minimum.
On 7 March, the WFP warned of a critical funding shortfall for its emergency response operations in Bangladesh, jeopardising food assistance for over one million Rohingya refugees.
Without urgent new funding, monthly rations must be halved to $6 per person, down from $12.50 per person – just as refugees prepare to celebrate Eid, marking the end of Ramadan.
All Rohingya receive vouchers that are redeemed for their choice of food at designated retailers in the camps. To sustain full rations, the WFP urgently requires $15 million for April and $81 million until the end of 2025.
This reduction has exacerbated food insecurity and malnutrition among the refugee population, particularly affecting women and children.
