73 missing Bangladeshis still unaccounted for after 11 days

Mofazzal Mia is the eldest of six siblings in his family. As he moved from adolescence into adulthood, he took on the burden of supporting his family. He left school and began working in the fields with his farmer father. However, the family continued to struggle financially. One day, a broker offered him the chance to travel to Europe and pursue the elusive dream of a better life. Promising to take him to Italy for Tk 1 million, the broker easily lured the young man from Chanpara in Baniachong of Habiganj into the trap. The fraudsters then took control of him and gradually extracted Tk 2.3 million. As a result, his dream disappeared into the Mediterranean Sea. He has been missing for 11 days. Another 72 Bangladeshis were with him and their fate also remains unknown.

Family members said a broker initially took Mofazzal to Libya for Tk 1 million. There, he was handed over to a human trafficking gang. The gang subjected him to repeated torture and extracted another Tk 1.3 million to take him to Italy. Over eight months, they took a total of Tk 2.3 million from him. On October 6, the young man and 72 other Bangladeshis were put aboard a vessel bound for Italy. That was the last time Mofazzal spoke to his family.

Mofazzal's mother, Fatema Begum, broke down in tears while speaking over the phone. She told Agamir Somoy, “We did not have any money to send our son to Europe. So, to improve our family's financial condition, we sold our last remaining assets, our home and homestead land. When that was not enough, we took out loans at high interest rates. The monthly installment is Tk 30,000. Along with my husband and five other children, I am now living in extreme hardship. We often have to go hungry or survive on very little food.”

The victim's father, Tofazzal Mia, said, “For the first two days, the broker gang told me that my son was stranded at sea on a naval vessel. Now they no longer answer the phone. Even after paying so much money, I cannot find any trace of my son. Where can we turn now? Who will provide us with our livelihood?”

Before boarding the vessel bound for Italy, Mofazzal spoke with his uncle and father using a WhatsApp number belonging to the human trafficking gang. He said 73 Bangladeshis from two groups had boarded a vessel. If nothing went wrong, they would reach Italy within two days and contact their families. That was the last communication between him and his family members.

After learning that 73 Bangladeshis, including at least 10 from Habiganj, had gone missing, Abul Kashem began contacting the Bangladesh Embassy in Italy five days later. He had traveled to Italy along the same route the previous year. The embassy informed him that no group of 73 people had recently arrived in Italy. Kashem also searched for Mofazzal at migrant camps but found no trace of him.

He told Agamir Somoy, “I traveled along this route myself and realized how great the risk of death is. I urge my relatives and others not to travel this way. Even then, many continue trying to come.”

Thirty-eight residents of Habiganj who went missing a year ago have also not been found. At least 10 residents of the district are among the 73 people who have recently gone missing. Despite these incidents, people continue attempting to reach Europe by sea. Concerned members of society are worried about the growing trend of traveling to Europe through illegal routes.

It is alleged that many of the missing men from Habiganj traveled to Libya with the intention of reaching Europe after paying money to Hasan Ashraf, also known as Hasan Molla. People familiar with the cases said the 38 residents of Habiganj who went missing earlier had also traveled through him. Although several cases have been filed over the incidents, there has been no visible progress.

Conversations with expatriates living in Europe revealed that human trafficking gangs send people to Greece from Benghazi and Tobruk in Libya and to Italy from Tripoli and Zuwara. According to them, a vessel carrying 73 people departed from Tripoli on October 6. Communication with the passengers was lost after the vessel crossed Libya's maritime boundary. All 73 missing passengers are Bangladeshi nationals.

Russel Mia, first secretary at the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, said, “The Libyan government does not have effective control over the areas of Benghazi, Tobruk, Tripoli and Zuwara. These areas are controlled by mafia gangs. It is also unsafe for Bangladesh Embassy officials to visit these areas. The Libyan government does not provide information on this matter either. We check detention centers based on reports published in newspapers. But that does not help. The previous 38 missing people have also not been found so far.”

Bahar Uddin, vice president of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN) in Habiganj, expressed concern over the incident. He said people have been going missing in this way day after day and their families are being pushed into destitution. He warned that the crime would increase further unless the law was properly enforced, even when cases were filed. He also called for government initiatives to help young people travel abroad through legal channels.