4 Bangladeshis among those missing in Mediterranean Sea shipwreck, say families

Four Bangladeshi nationals, all hailing from Faridpur, have been missing since the deadly shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea on Sunday, causing extreme anxiety and worry to their families.

The missing Bangladeshi nationals are - Al Amin Matubbar, 20, son of Mostafa Matubbar, Mahfuz Molla, 22, son of Sobahan Molla, Nazmul Molla 23, son of Esken Molla and Akramul Bepari, 27, son of Seken Bepari- all are resident of Nagarkanda upazila of the district, said their families.

All the youths left the country to go to Italy illegally spending Tk8-10 lakh  through brokers, they said.

Thirty people feared drowned after a boat from Libya capsized in bad weather on Sunday. A total of 17 others were rescued in the shipwreck incident and brought ashore by the Italian authorities on Monday, reports Reuters.

Those rescued, who were originally from Bangladesh were taken to the Sicilian town of Pozzallo, Italian newswire ANSA reported.

Chameli Begum, 38, mother of missing Al-Amin Matubbar, said that her son left the country two months ago to go to Italy. He boarded a trawler from Libya on Thursday after travelling many countries.

Locals alleged  Murad Fakir and four others- Farhad Fakir of Mashaujan village, Liton Sardar and Abul Hossain of Bilgobindapur village and Quader Matubbar of Basagari area, are involved in human trafficking .

Kazi Abul Kalam, Dangi Union Parishad chairman, said that Murad is a human trafficker who has sent at least 200 youths abroad illegally.

Miraj Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Nagarkanda Police Station, said that no complaint has been lodged yet regarding this matter.