At least two dozen Rohingya Muslims died aboard a boat that was rescued on Wednesday with nearly 400 starving people aboard after failing to reach Malaysia and drifting for weeks, Bangladesh coast guard officials said on Thursday.
The Rohingya, who were thought to be from refugee camps on Bangladesh's southeast coast, were headed to Malaysia, but turned back at sea when that country implemented a strict coastal patrol due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Dhaka Tribune local newspaper said. Those rescued reported that "32 Rohingya died aboard the overcrowded trawler and their bodies were thrown in the sea," the official said, adding that an investigation into the matter was under way. Footage posted on Facebook by a local journalist showed mostly women and children, emaciated and standing on the beach.
Nearly one million Rohingya live in squalid camps near Bangladesh’s border with Myanmar, many fleeing the neighbouring country after a brutal military crackdown began in 2017. With few opportunities for jobs and education in the camps, thousands have attempted to reach other countries like Malaysia and Thailand. Since late last year, Bangladesh's law enforcement agencies have picked up some 1,000 Rohingya from coastal villages and boats as they waited to board vessels bound for Malaysia.
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