Can’t we stop the death of our youths in the Mediterranean?
Several Bangladeshi youths have tragically died after their boat sank in the Mediterranean Sea on their way to change their fortunes in Italy.
According to media reports, on January 25, a boat sank with 56 people on board, and 23 bodies washed up on the beach. Not all of them drowned.
Among the people killed, there are at least 12 people from Madaripur and Faridpur.
What a terrible situation! In the grip of brokers, the youth of our country go missing abroad, they remain out of touch. In the name of manpower export, a class of brokers fine fortune-seeking youths abroad and grab huge sums of money.
The brokers detained and tortured young Italian-bound youths in Libya. They were released only after collecting a large sum of money from their relatives in the country.
According to Bangladesh Embassy sources in Tripoli, four thousand two hundred Bangladeshis have been freed from various detention centers in Libya and sent them back to the country in the last one and a half years.
More than one thousand illegal Bangladeshis are still stuck in Libya. For 10 years, the sources added, most of those who have crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Europe are Bangladeshis.
Reportedly, from 2009 to 2024, around 84 thousand Bangladeshis went to Europe by sea. Every year at least 100 Bangladeshis die in boat drowning. Immigration analysts say that not only domestic but also international circles are involved.
Each migrant requires Tk. 16 to 20 lakh for going to Italy. But after spending this huge money, many people fell into danger, died, were captured and detained in camps.
Even if the government cannot catch the international cycle, it can catch the domestic gang.
Will the government just bring the bodies of the unfortunate youth to the country and complete the task? Why not take action against those who take fortune-seeking young people abroad and make corpses? Some authorized manpower exporters are allegedly involved behind this brokering ring, through whom they send people abroad.
Many cases have been filed against such organizations in the past, but no action has been taken. Because many of those involved in this circle were influential people associated with the ruling political party.
The interim government must adopt a zero-tolerance policy against fraudsters. Creating good jobs for the youth is the best option to stop this death march of our youths.