347 rescued, 47 traffickers arrested in month-long anti-trafficking blitz in Teknaf
The joint forces achieved a major breakthrough on 13 October with the capture of Abdul Ali, one of the syndicate’s key masterminds, following weeks of relentless pursuit through the rugged hills and coastal hideouts of Teknaf. Intelligence sources have since confirmed that several foreign nationals are also entangled in the network’s operations
In the past month alone, 13 coordinated raids led by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Coast Guard, and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have rescued 347 victims and arrested 47 suspected traffickers in Teknaf, Cox's Bazar. Officials say the drive is part of an intensified nationwide campaign to dismantle human trafficking networks operating along Bangladesh's southern frontier.
The sweeping crackdown, stretching from Teknaf's hills to its coastline, marks one of the largest anti-trafficking operations in recent years, targeting syndicates that exploit remote routes to traffic people, including Rohingya refugees, to Malaysia under false promises of work and safety.
The joint forces achieved a major breakthrough on 13 October with the capture of Abdul Ali, one of the syndicate's key masterminds, following weeks of relentless pursuit through the rugged hills and coastal hideouts of Teknaf. Intelligence sources have since confirmed that several foreign nationals are also entangled in the network's operations.
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The latest operation unfolded just past midnight yesterday along the Marine Drive near Teknaf's shoreline. Acting on a tip-off, a BGB team intercepted a group preparing to send 29 people out to sea, rescuing them moments before they were trafficked. Three suspected traffickers were detained on the spot.
Lt Colonel Md Ashiqur Rahman, commanding officer of BGB Battalion-2 in Teknaf, confirmed the operation, saying, "At dawn, we dismantled an armed traffickers' hideout deep in the Rajachhara hills and rescued six hostages. Later that evening, we foiled another trafficking attempt along the coast. Our message is clear: from the mountains to the sea, not an inch of Teknaf's border will remain safe for criminals."
BGB officials said the 29 rescued individuals will be handed over to the relevant authorities following administrative procedures, while cases are being prepared against the three detained traffickers, identified as Md Selim (35), Nurul Absar (19), and Mansur Alam (22).
The raids have also exposed the grim underbelly of Teknaf's trafficking trade. Once famed for its lush green hills and turquoise sea, the Baharchhara coastline has become a hub of abduction and human smuggling.
Intelligence reports indicate that secret detention camps had sprung up in remote hill zones of Baharchhara's Kachhapia and Boro Dail areas, where victims were held before being sent off by boat.
Local sources say the trafficking syndicate is led by four men: Abdul Ali (currently in jail since 13 October), Md Hossain, Saiful, and Nizam. Under these leaders, more than a hundred operatives work. Their network reportedly includes brokers, fishermen, local representatives, and even some residents of Rohingya camps.
For residents of Baharchhara Union, fear has become a way of life. "Nearly 13,000 people live in constant panic," said local Union Parishad member Farid Ullah. "No one dares to step outside after dark. We urgently need another security outpost here."
He added that tourists should avoid travelling alone along the Marine Drive after sunset, especially near the hilly zones of Boro Dail, Gorjonbagan, Baghghona, and Kachhapia.
The trafficking surge comes amid a damning US Trafficking in Persons Report 2025, which stated that Bangladesh "has taken some measures but still fails to meet minimum standards to eliminate trafficking." UNHCR and IOM earlier warned that "Rohingya refugees are increasingly vulnerable to trafficking," and that without stronger international support, the situation may worsen.
Interviews with Rohingya community leaders suggest that dreams of a better life in Malaysia have long fueled these perilous journeys, a trend now sharply rising. Many traffickers exploit this desperation, promising passage for Tk10,000–20,000 upfront or offering deferred payment of up to Tk200,000 upon arrival.
"Traffickers lure poor and jobless youth with dreams of fortune abroad," said Mohammad Alam, president of the Leda Development Management Committee. "As the sea calms during this season, many try their luck, often never to return."
Between 2016 and October 2023, police records show that 1,134 Malaysia-bound migrants were rescued from sea routes in Cox's Bazar, most of them Rohingyas. Over 85 cases have been filed against more than 1,200 individuals, with 508 traffickers arrested to date.
Yet, the trafficking persists.
"Some victims willingly cooperate with traffickers, making enforcement extremely difficult," admitted Teknaf Police Station OC Abu Zayed Nur. "Still, we are trying to track every local operative and continuing our raids."
Lt Colonel Kamrul Hasan, commanding officer of RAB-15, added, "These traffickers are heavily armed. They fire shots in the hills to instil fear, to keep their victims imprisoned and their routes open."
For now, the joint forces say their operations will continue, from the dense forests of Teknaf's hills to the dark waves of the Bay of Bengal, to reclaim what has become one of Bangladesh's most dangerous trafficking corridors.
