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Fifteen Bangladeshi nationals were rescued after being found adrift in the Mediterranean Sea while attempting to reach Europe irregularly, officials said.
A Danish commercial vessel rescued the 15 Bangladeshis along with 32 Egyptian nationals, bringing the total number of people rescued to 47. They were later handed over to the Egyptian Navy and placed under the custody of authorities in Port Said.
The Bangladesh Embassy in Cairo has taken steps to provide legal assistance and facilitate their repatriation. A delegation led by Acting Ambassador Goutam Kumar De and First Secretary (Labour) Md Zakir Hossain recently visited Port Said and met officials of the Suez Canal authorities and the Port Said Security Centre.
According to the rescued Bangladeshis, they had travelled to Libya between 2022 and 2026 with the intention of reaching Europe. Some said they had fallen into the hands of human traffickers or mafia networks and had paid between Tk 1 million and Tk 2.5 million each for the journey.
On the night of July 10, the group reportedly left Tobruk, Libya, for Greece in a rubber boat. The vessel had no navigation system and lost its way, drifting in the Mediterranean for around 48 hours. After running out of fuel, the boat became stranded, leaving the passengers without adequate food or drinking water for about two days and three nights.
They said they tried to attract the attention of passing ships by flashing their mobile phone lights at night. They were eventually spotted and rescued by the Danish vessel.
Many of the Bangladeshis became physically weak and ill after spending a prolonged period at sea without sufficient food and water.
Md Zakir Hossain said the embassy was working to complete the necessary legal procedures in Egypt and arrange their return to Bangladesh as soon as possible. Emergency travel permits are also being issued for those who do not have valid passports.
The embassy also urged Bangladeshi nationals to avoid falling prey to human traffickers and remain aware of the dangers of attempting to reach Europe through irregular and hazardous sea routes.