Families receive bodies of 8 drowned migrants

News Desk :
The bodies of eight Bangladeshi migrants who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea while trying to reach Europe from Libya have been handed over to their families.

They received the bodies from police in the presence of Executive Magistrate Sayem Imran at Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s morgue on Friday, reports bdnews24.com

As many as 53 migrants, including 35 Bangladeshis, started for Italy from Libya on Feb 14 by a rickety boat with the help of people smugglers for a better life. Eight Bangladeshis and a Pakistani died when the boat capsized off Tunisia’s coast.

The bodies were brought back on Thursday. The dead are Mamun Sheikh, Sajal Boiragi, Nayan Biswas, Rifat Sheikh, Sajeeb Kazi, Imrul Kayes Apon, Md Kaiser and Rasel Sheikh – five from Madaripur and three from Gopalganj.

Sajal’s father Sunil Boiragi started a case against seven people smugglers and 15 unnamed others on Apr 19.

Sub-Inspector Zahangir Alam of Airport Police Station, who is investigating the case, said the bodies were transferred without autopsy as post-mortem examinations were already conducted in Tunisia.

Still, the investigator, a magistrate and a forensic doctor examined the bodies and reports from the Tunisian authorities.

Zahangir said they arrested two suspects and interrogated them in custody. “We’re verifying the information they’ve given. It’s an international ring. Everyone connected to this ring here and abroad will be brought to justice.”