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Police have recovered the decomposed body of an unidentified young man from the Naf River off the coast of Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar, marking the fifth body found in the area’s coastal waters over the past 12 days. Local authorities and officials suspect the deaths may be linked to a migrant boat disaster or a human trafficking attempt involving people trying to reach Malaysia by sea.
The latest body was recovered at around 11:30 am on Sunday from the bank of the Naf River near the Shah Porir Dwip jetty and a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) outpost in Sabrang Union.
Acting Chairman of the Sabrang Union Parishad Abdul Mannan said police recovered the body after local residents alerted authorities. Due to prolonged exposure to water, the victim’s face was badly decomposed, making immediate identification impossible.
The deceased is believed to be between 30 and 35 years old. He was wearing dark blue shorts and a light green jersey and had a light beard and moustache. Although no visible signs of injury were found, the body’s skin had deteriorated after remaining in the water for an extended period.
Abdul Mannan said the repeated recovery of bodies along the Teknaf coast strongly suggests a possible connection to a boat carrying migrants to Malaysia that may have capsized or to a human trafficking operation.
The concerns echo a recent joint statement by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), which reported that two boats carrying Rohingya refugees left Myanmar’s Rakhine State for Malaysia in late June. One vessel, carrying about 250 people, has been missing since departure, while another, carrying around 280 passengers, is believed to have sunk near Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8. The passengers reportedly included Rohingya refugees from both Rakhine State and camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
Earlier this month, on July 8, police recovered the bodies of three unidentified women from Shah Porir Dwip, St. Martin’s Island and Rajarchhara Beach in Teknaf. Two days later, another human skeleton was found on a beach near Shah Porir Dwip.
Teknaf Naval Police Sub-Inspector Suman Chandra Nath said it has not yet been determined whether the latest victim was a Bangladeshi national or a Rohingya refugee. An inquest has been completed, and the body is being sent to Cox’s Bazar District Hospital for an autopsy. Authorities are using all available legal and forensic methods to establish the victim’s identity.
Local residents fear that more bodies could wash ashore in the coming days as rough seas and adverse weather continue to affect the Bay of Bengal and the Naf River
