Women and children among 66 rescued in Teknaf
A Coast Guard and Navy joint operation rescued 66 people, including women and children, from a remote Teknaf hill.
Lieutenant Commander Siyyam-ul-Haque, Coast Guard media officer, confirmed the successful rescue on Friday morning, 19 September 2025. The joint operation began the previous evening, on Thursday, September 18, 2025, running from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Acting on intelligence that individuals were being held for trafficking to Malaysia by sea, Coast Guard and Navy personnel rescued 66 people from a trafficker's hilltop hideout during this period.
According to the victims, organised syndicates lured Bangladeshis and Rohingya nationals from across the country, including Teknaf. These groups made false promises of high-paying jobs, affordable migration, or deferred expenses. Once in their grasp, the victims were confined in a remote hideout as preparations began to traffic them by boat to Malaysia, departing from the coast near Marine Drive.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Victims also described enduring torture and facing ransom demands while in captivity.
The traffickers escaped after detecting the joint forces. Although no arrests were made, the Navy and Coast Guard continue surveillance and operations to apprehend those responsible.
The Coast Guard official emphasised that operations against human trafficking will remain a top priority, reaffirming their unwavering commitment to safeguard vulnerable populations and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice, no matter how long it takes.
