About 250 Rohingya Refugees Missing After Overcrowded Trawler Sinks in the Andaman Sea
A boat carrying roughly 280 Rohingya and Bangladeshis from Teknaf to Malaysia sank on April 9, with the Bangladesh Coast Guard rescuing only nine survivors. Six of the nine rescued are alleged human traffickers who had lured passengers with false job promises.
An overcrowded trawler carrying roughly 280 Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals sank in the Andaman Sea on April 9, leaving about 250 people missing and feared dead, according to a joint statement from UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration.
The vessel, named Tanjina Sultana, departed Teknaf in southern Bangladesh on April 4, bound for Malaysia. The Bangladesh Coast Guard, which happened to have a vessel in transit to Indonesia, spotted several people floating in the water using plastic drums and oil containers. Nine people were pulled from the sea -- six Bangladeshis and three Rohingya -- after surviving approximately 48 hours in the water.
Survivors reported that 25 to 30 people had already died from suffocation and overcrowding before the boat went down. Heavy winds, rough seas, and the sheer number of passengers caused the capsize.
Trafficking, Not Migration
Of the nine people rescued, six were alleged to be human traffickers and have been detained. A case has been filed under Bangladesh's Human Trafficking Prevention Act.
Survivor Rafiqul Islam, a Rohingya man from Kutupalong camp, told reporters he was lured with a job offer on April 2 and taken to a house in Teknaf's Kachhopia area, where he was confined with 20 to 25 others in inhumane conditions before being forced onto the boat.
"We were promised jobs and taken to the boat," Islam said. "After days at sea, the boat sank, and we floated for two days before being rescued."
Another survivor, Md Imran, said: "We wanted to leave camp life and find a better future. But the journey turned into a nightmare."
The Deadliest Waters
The Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal are among the deadliest maritime corridors in the world for refugees. UNHCR data shows:
| Year | Rohingya dead or missing at sea |
|---|---|
| 2024 | More than 1,000 |
| 2025 (through November) | More than 600 |
| 2026 (through April) | At least 250 from this incident alone |
In May 2025, 427 Rohingya died when two boats sank during the monsoon season. UNHCR reported that nearly one in five people attempting the sea crossing in the first half of 2025 were reported dead or missing.
Why They Take the Risk
The UNHCR and IOM statement said the tragedy reflects "the dire consequences of protracted displacement and the absence of durable solutions for the Rohingya." Ongoing violence in Rakhine State -- where the Myanmar military's 2017 campaign drove more than 700,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh -- has eliminated any near-term hope of return.
More than a million Rohingya live in camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, where movement is restricted, work is largely prohibited, and conditions have deteriorated as international funding has declined. Malaysia, which hosts a significant Rohingya diaspora, has become the primary destination for those who attempt the crossing despite never having signed the 1951 Refugee Convention.
The agencies called on the international community to "step up and sustain funding for lifesaving assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh" and for countries in the region to comply with maritime search and rescue obligations.