Chittagong, Bangladesh: 82 Rohingyas from the 600 refugees who were rescued on 17th November while being trafficked to Malaysia, were bought before the Chittagong Chief Magistrate’s court for illegal entry into Bangladesh on 19th November said Kazi Shahabuddin, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Patenga Police Station.
Lt Commander Mahbubur Rahman of the Navy warship ‘Durjoy’ filed two cases with Patenga Police on the night of 17th November, one for trespassing and the other for human-trafficking.
Eighty-two Myanmar nationals from refugee boat were accused of trespassing and 17 others, including three Bangladeshis, were booked for trafficking, according to Shahabuddin.
Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate Ahmed Sayed remanded 85 people in prison, 82 of them were Rohingyas, of whom 19 were women and 12 were children. Of those 71 were charged with illegal entry to Bangladesh; 11 were charged with people trafficking offences as well as illegal entry to Bangladesh and 3 were charged with people trafficking offences.
A Navy press statement said: “There were 625 passengers on the trawler. Of them, 555 were males, 31 were females and 26 were children. Apart from them, there were also 11 Myanmar national human traffickers and three Bangladeshi on board. The trawler was illegally sailing to Malaysia for human trafficking.”
Later, 494 Bangladeshi nationals including 14 women and 21 children were released on the morning of 19th November after being interrogated at Patenga Police Station, Shahabuddin said.
Edited for BNI by Mark Inkey
