Residents of Maheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar held a human chain protest on Friday demanding the arrest and punishment of human traffickers after a trawler carrying migrants to Malaysia sank near the Andaman Islands. The demonstration took place at Panirchhara Robi Bazar in Hoanak Union, organized by the local sports and social group Panirchhara Brothers Union. Families of the missing and deceased, along with local citizens, joined the protest calling for justice.

Speakers at the event alleged that a trafficking network led by a local man named Ali Hossain had been luring people with false promises of better lives abroad, pushing them toward deadly journeys by sea. They said the same pattern of deaths was occurring on routes to both Libya and Malaysia. One grieving mother broke down in tears, demanding justice for her son who was deceived into boarding the ill-fated trawler.

According to local reports, at least fifty young men from various unions of Maheshkhali remain missing following the recent trawler sinking near the Andaman Islands.