All 22 migrants who died during a six-day ordeal in the Mediterranean Sea off the Greek coast while attempting to reach Europe from Libya are suspected to be Bangladeshis.
Of the 26 rescued survivors, 21 have been reported as Bangladesh nationals.
State minister for expatriates’ welfare Md Nurul Hoque said on Sunday night that all the deceased were suspected to be Bangladeshis, although their identities were yet to be officially confirmed.
He said that Greek authorities, based on statements from the rescued migrants, shared preliminary information with Bangladesh.
Bangladesh ambassador to Greece Nahida Rahman Shumona, however, said that the Bangladesh mission had sought consular access to the survivors to verify their identities.
At least 22 migrants died and 26 others, including 21 Bangladeshis, were rescued during the unsafe sea journey in their desperate move to reach Europe, according to international agencies.
Among the rescued, four were South Sudanese and one was from Chad.
According to the local administration, at least 12 of the deceased are from three upazilas of Sunamganj district.
The deceased from Derai Upazila in the district are Nuruzzaman Sardar alias Moyna, Sajidur Rahman and Shahan Miah of Tarapasha village under Kulanj union, Mujibur Rahman of Charnarchar village, Tayef Miah of Matiapur village and Sohan Ahmed of Basuri village.
The deceased from Jagannathpur Upazila are Sohanur Rahman of Chilaura village, Shayekh Ahmed of Tiargaon village, Md Nayeem of Chilaura Kabirpur village, Aminur Rahman of Pailgaon village and Mohammad Ali of Ichhagaon village of Jagannathpur Upazila, while the deceased from Doarabazar Upazila is Abu Fahim of Kabirnagar village.
Sunamganj district additional superintendent of Police Sujan Sarker told New Age that the police had contacted the victims’ family members who confirmed the deaths of the 12 migrants.
‘We have already sent the details of the deceased to the higher authorities concerned, and further steps will be taken accordingly,’ he said.
He added that six of the deceased were from Derai upazila, five from Jagannathpur upazila and one from Doarabazar upazila.
State minister Nurul Hoque said that they were trying to confirm the identities and origins of the remaining victims.
Survivors told the Greek coastguard officials that a rubber boat carrying 48 migrants left Tobruk on March 21 for Greece, a key gateway for migrants seeking asylum in the European Union.
The European Border and Coast Guard Agency rescued 26 migrants, including a woman and a minor, off the island of Crete on Friday.
Two survivors were taken to a hospital in Heraklion.
Quoting the Greek coastguard, international news agency Agence France-Presse reported that the migrants lost their bearings and remained at sea for six days without food or water, leading to the deaths of 22 people due to exhaustion.
The survivors also said that the bodies of the dead were thrown into the sea on the orders of the smugglers.
Greek authorities arrested two youths, aged 19 and 22, suspected of being smugglers, and launched an investigation on charges of illegal entry and negligent homicide.
The vessel was located about 53 nautical miles south of Ierapetra, where it had faced unfavourable weather conditions.
State minister for foreign affairs Shama Obaed Islam said that human trafficking must be stopped and those involved in such inhumane activities must face exemplary punishment under national and international laws.
‘We must find a long-term solution to prevent human trafficking. This does not fall under any definition of civilisation and cannot continue,’ she told reporters at the ministry.
Relatives of the victims in Sunamganj said that each migrant’s family had made a deal with brokers to reach Greece via Libya in exchange for Tk 12 lakh.
They said that the migrants left home last month and half of the money was paid after reaching Libya.
‘There was no trace of them for a few days. On Saturday afternoon, Rohan, who was rescued in Greece, informed us over the phone about the deaths of his four neighbours,’ a family member said.
Kulanj union council member Shahnur Miah said that the migrants were promised by traffickers that they would travel by a large and safe vessel but were later forced to board a small and risky boat.
According to the International Organization for Migration, at least 559 people died in the Mediterranean Sea in January and February this year, compared with 287 in the same period last year.
