Mediterranean Shipwreck: Faridpur families sink deeper into despair
At least 11 young men from Faridpur who were believed to be onboard the recently capsized boat in the Mediterranean Sea remained missing as of yesterday.
Meanwhile, with each passing day, their family members back home sank deeper into despair without any news about the youths.
Thirty people feared to have drowned after the boat capsized in bad weather on Sunday. A total of 17 others were rescued in the shipwreck incident and brought ashore by the Italian authorities on Monday, Italy's coast guard told Reuters.
The missing youths are Al Amin Matubbar, 20, Mahfuz Mollah, 22, Nazmul Mollah, 23, and Akramul Bapari, 27, of Krishnanagar village; Sawpan Fakir, 27, son of Ishak Fakir of Basgari village; Shamim Kazi, 21, son of Seken Kazi, Bipul Matubbar, 25, son of Sorowar Matubbar, and Biltu Sheikh, 25, son of Malek Sheikh of Sankarpasha village; Miran Sheikh, 22, son of Soleman Sheikh and Tuhin Sheikh, 20, son of Isdrish Sheikh of Shrigal village; and Shaown Takukdar, 22, son of Kashem Talukdar of Naruyahati village.
The youths, from Dangi union in the district's Nagarkanda upazila, were headed to Italy from Libya.
All of them went abroad illegally through Murad Fakir, a member of a human trafficking gang, said officials of local administration.
Topu Raihan, a local journalist, said, "A total of 12 youths from the Dangi union were on that boat. Of them, four were from my village Shankarpasha. One of them, Mehedy Hasan, was rescued. He sent a message to his family saying that the three others could not make it to the shore."
Soleman Sheikh, father of Miran Sheikh, said, "I want my son back. We are losing sleep as we're worried sick about Miran."
Kashem Talukdar, father of Shaown Takukdar, said, "Murad and his men lied to us. They said they would send my son on a ship but they sent them on a small boat."
Bulbul Sardar, former chairman of Dangi union parishad, told The Daily Star, "It has been confirmed so far that 11 youths of Dangi union are missing. Their family members are in extreme anxiety."
The youths went abroad illegally on a contract of Tk 8 lakh per person through Murad Fakir of Krishnanagar village, he said.
Kazi Abul Kalam, chairman of Dangi union parishad, said, "Murad is a human trafficker. He sent at least 200 youths abroad illegally and earned a lot of money."
According to villagers, Murad has been involved in human trafficking with the help of several others in the district.
Miraj Hossain, officer-in-charge of Nagarkanda Police Station, said, "No one has filed a complaint in this regard so far. If a case is filed, the matter will be investigated."
Comments