11 Bangladeshis die in Mediterranean, 18 hospitalised in Egypt

At least 11 Bangladeshi undocumented migrants have died in the Mediterranean Sea while attempting to travel to Greece from Libya by sea. According to survivors, their companions perished one after another before their eyes due to a severe lack of food and water over several consecutive days, forcing them to cast the decomposing bodies into the sea.

On the night of August 3, an engine-driven boat carrying 42 passengers set sail for Greece from the Tobruk coast in Libya. Thirty-eight of the passengers were Bangladeshi. Shortly after departure, the boat encountered a storm, causing the food and water supplies to wash away into the sea. Later, as the boat neared Greece, its engine failed, leaving it drifting in the Mediterranean.

After drifting at sea for nine consecutive days, ocean currents pushed the boat near the Marsa Matrouh coast in Egypt, where Egyptian security forces launched a rescue operation and saved the survivors. Among the rescued Bangladeshis, 18 have been admitted to Marsa Matrouh General Hospital.

Abdul Karim, hailing from Shanthiganj upazila of Sunamganj and undergoing treatment at the hospital, recounted that no brokers or rescue agencies came to their aid after the engine broke down. Due to starvation and dehydration, nine Bangladeshis died initially, followed by two more later. Prolonged drifting at sea has also caused wounds and infections on the bodies of many survivors.

The Bangladesh Embassy in Egypt stated that it is in regular contact with hospital authorities and local police regarding the medical treatment of the injured. Following their recovery and the completion of Egyptian legal procedures, initiatives will be taken to repatriate the Bangladeshis swiftly through travel permits.