Bangladesh rescues 30 Rohingya adrift for two days

COX’S BAZAR AFP April27, 2021-The Bangladesh coastguard on Tuesday rescued 30 Rohingya refugees adrift in the Bay of Bengal for two days after they were attacked by pirates, an official said.   

About a million Rohingya refugees live in sprawling camps in south-east Bangladesh, having fled repression in Myanmar.   

Many pay often-unscrupulous traffickers to put them on dangerous sea journeys to Southeast Asian countries -- in this case Malaysia, home to a sizable Rohingya diaspora.   

Coast Guard spokesman Lieutenant Commander Amirul Haque said the boat left from near the camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district on Friday, carrying 20 women, five men and five children.