A deadly mix of poverty, deception and human trafficking -- locally known as a Tk3 lakh “body contract” -- is driving hundreds of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas onto perilous sea journeys, as at least 250 people remain missing after a trawler from Teknaf sank in the Andaman Sea.
Investigators say most of the passengers aboard the ill-fated vessel had agreed to pay traffickers around Tk300,000 only after reaching Malaysia, lured by promises of jobs and a better life.
A journey sold as hope
For 22-year-old Enayetullah from Teknaf’s Kutubunia village, the journey was presented as an opportunity.
He left home on April 3 with five others, believing the trip would cost nothing upfront.
Instead, he was told to pay Tk3.1 lakh after arrival.
“Enayetullah has been missing for 14 days now. We have no information about his whereabouts,” his aunt Dindar Begum said.
Like many others, he came from a financially vulnerable family, hoping to support relatives back home.
Another youth, 18-year-old Mohammed Rashed, boarded the same boat after handing over his passport to brokers, without informing his family.
Traffickers later assured his relatives he was “safe on the boat”, but he has not been heard from since.
Police say the incident is part of a well-organised trafficking network operating across Teknaf, Ukhia and surrounding coastal areas.
Victims are recruited through local brokers and transported through routes such as Baharchhara and Kachchhapia before being sent to sea.
Some willingly attempt the journey, while others are misled or coerced.
“Family members frequently do not file formal complaints, making enforcement more difficult,” said Sanjib Kanti Nath, investigating officer of Teknaf Model Police Station.
Law enforcement agencies have rescued some victims and arrested nine suspects linked to the network, with six already taken on remand for further interrogation.
Horror at sea
Survivor accounts reveal the scale of the tragedy.
A Rohingya woman, the only survivor among around 20 women on board, said she swam for nearly two days before being rescued.
“People were sinking in front of me,” she said.
Authorities believe the overcrowded trawler capsized on April 9 due to strong winds and rough seas.
Officials say such journeys have become increasingly common in Cox’s Bazar, particularly among Rohingya youths in camps and low-income Bangladeshi communities.
The “body contract” system -- where migrants pay after reaching their destination -- has made these routes more accessible, but also far more dangerous.
Tragedy with no end
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), worsening camp conditions, limited livelihood opportunities and insecurity in Myanmar are pushing more people toward such risky migration.
In 2025 alone, more than 6,500 Rohingya attempted sea crossings, with at least 890 deaths reported.
On the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal, deaths and disappearances rose by more than 40% -- from 598 in 2024 to 860 in 2025 -- according to the IOM.
Despite the scale of the latest disaster, officials say similar attempts continue regularly.
For families still waiting for news, the tragedy is not just a statistic -- but a painful uncertainty.
As authorities investigate trafficking networks, the Tk3 lakh “body contract” continues to lure desperate people onto one of the region’s deadliest migration routes.