Three Half Decomposed Bodies Wash Ashore in Teknaf
Collected Photo
Police have recovered three unidentified half-decomposed bodies from separate locations in the Bay of Bengal off Teknaf and St. Martin’s Island in Cox’s Bazar. The identities of the deceased could not be determined as the bodies had been floating in the sea for a long time.
Police suspect the bodies may belong to people linked to the ongoing conflict in Myanmar. However, some locals have suggested that they may have been victims of a trawler sinking while traveling to Malaysia by sea or a boat accident while crossing the Naf River. No confirmed information has yet been obtained.
The bodies were recovered separately on Wednesday, July 8, from Shah Porir Dwip, St. Martin’s Island and the sea off Rajarchhara in Sadar Union of Teknaf upazila.
According to police and local sources, the body of an unidentified woman washed ashore with the tide at Gholapara Beach on Shah Porir Dwip at around 11 am Wednesday. Later in the afternoon, another half-decomposed body of a woman was recovered from the western beach of St. Martin’s Island. The same day, another unidentified body was recovered from the sea off Rajarchhara in Teknaf Sadar Union.
Sub-Inspector (SI) Sanjib of Shah Porir Dwip Police Outpost said the identity of the recovered woman could not be determined. An inquest report has been prepared and the body has been sent to the morgue of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital for an autopsy.
Meanwhile, Acting Chairman of St. Martin Union Parishad Faizul Islam said the recovered body had decomposed after remaining in the sea for a long time. “Even the head had been severed. Therefore, it was not possible to identify the body,” he said.
Inspector Md. Osman Gani of St. Martin Police Outpost said that vessel movement on the Teknaf-St. Martin route has remained suspended for five days due to rough weather. “Under these circumstances, it was not possible to send the recovered body to Teknaf or Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital by sea. Therefore, after completing legal procedures, the body was buried in a local graveyard in accordance with religious customs,” he said.
Teknaf Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Saiful Islam confirmed the matter and said all three bodies were in a half-decomposed state after floating in the sea for a long time. Two of the recovered bodies have been sent to the morgue of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital for autopsies.
“Preliminarily, it is believed that they may belong to people linked to the ongoing conflict in Myanmar. However, the actual identities and causes of death can only be confirmed after the investigation is completed,” OC Saiful Islam said.
