Over 250 Rohingya and Bangladeshis, including children, are missing after their boat capsized last week in the Andaman Sea, according to the United Nations’ refugee and migration agencies.
According to the agencies, the trawler, which had left Bangladesh for Malaysia, “reportedly sank due to heavy winds, rough seas, and overcrowding.”
It’s unclear when the boat capsized, but on April 9, a Bangladesh-flagged vessel rescued nine individuals who were “clinging to drums and wooden debris” to keep afloat, according to the coast guard.
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya, one of Myanmar’s many ethnic minorities, have fled to Bangladesh since a brutal campaign in 2017.
The Myanmar government, which has a Buddhist majority, denies citizenship to the Rohingya, who are mostly Muslims.
Poor living conditions in Bangladesh have prompted some Rohingya to make perilous journeys on overcrowded boats to Malaysia, a Muslim country that some see as a safe haven in the region.
According to a Coast Guard member who begged not to be named, those rescued following last week’s tragedy left Bangladesh for Malaysia on April 4 “in the hope of a better life.”
However, their boat was trapped in a storm on April 7 or 8.
“They were left floating at sea for nearly two days, holding onto drums and pieces of wood,” he added.
The Bangladesh-flagged motor tanker Meghna Pride was heading from Bangladesh to Indonesia when its crew discovered the survivors about 2 a.m. on April 11 and brought them on board.
Later, it was discovered that they were from both the Bangladeshi and Rohingya communities in Cox’s Bazar.
The ship then entered Bangladeshi seas and handed them over to the Coast Guard vessel “Mansur Ali.”
The survivors claimed they had seen nearly 100 people.
“But the exact number is still unknown,” the officer added, “and there is no trace of the others or of the boat.”
Rafiqul Islam, one of the survivors, told AFP that he floated for about 36 hours before being rescued and that he was burned by oil poured from the ship.
The 40-year-old claimed that the lure of a job in Malaysia influenced his decision to board the boat.
“This tragic incident reflects the dire consequences of protracted displacement and the absence of durable solutions for the Rohingya,” the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in its statement jointly issued with the International Organization for Migration.
The ongoing violence in Rakhine, their home state in Myanmar, has “faded hopes of safe return in the near future,” according to the agencies, adding that limited humanitarian assistance and difficult living conditions in refugee camps have pushed them to “take such dangerous sea journeys in search of safety and opportunity.”
These vessels are frequently small and crowded, lacking basic amenities such as fresh water and sanitation.
They do not always reach their destinations. Some die at sea, while others are jailed or deported.
Some have also been turned away when approaching Malaysia and Indonesia, either by officials or local coastal communities.
In January 2025, Malaysia turned away two boats carrying approximately 300 refugees after providing them with food and water.
“People are dying in the fighting, dying from hunger. So some think it’s better to die at sea than to die slowly here,” a Rohingya refugee in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, had previously told Reuters.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the UN agencies urged the international community to continue assistance for Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh.
They added: “As Bangladesh marks its new year, this tragedy is a reminder of the efforts urgently needed to address the root causes of displacement in Myanmar and create conditions that would allow Rohingya refugees to return home voluntarily, safely, and with dignity.”
