{"id":76,"date":"2026-04-13T07:05:44","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T07:05:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpen.thebayinsight.com\/?p=76"},"modified":"2026-04-13T07:05:44","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T07:05:44","slug":"cries-across-teknaf-where-is-my-son","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/cries-across-teknaf-where-is-my-son\/","title":{"rendered":"Cries Across Teknaf: \u201cWhere is My Son?\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Abdur Rahman, Teknaf | Cox\u2019s Bazar<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the coast of Cox\u2019s Bazar, the waves do not always carry water. At times, they bring stories of grief, disappearance, and long, silent waiting. Along the shores of Teknaf, the sound of crashing waves now echoes with the cries of countless mothers asking, \u201cWhere is my son?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the narrow lanes of Shah Porir Dwip, in open fields at dusk, and along the Naf River\u2014places once filled with children\u2019s laughter, football games, and dreams\u2014uncertainty now casts a shadow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Teknaf, nightfall brings more than darkness; it brings fear. Dreams drift away across the sea, while families remain onshore, waiting in endless anxiety and sorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anas lured into disappearance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mohammad Anas, a 14-year-old boy from Shah Porir Dwip, was a seventh-grade student at Haji Bashir Ahmed High School. Football was his dream, and that dream led him into darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Local traffickers lured him with promises of playing football abroad. He was later sold to another trafficking group for 40,000 taka and taken onto a boat, allegedly bound for Malaysia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last contact with his family came through a phone call. From the other end, a ransom of 300,000 taka was demanded, with threats of killing him if the money was not paid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The family borrowed money to meet the demand. But even after three months, Anas has not returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe paid the money, but did not get our son back,\u201d said his mother, Shomuda Begum. \u201cThey took him away with promises of football. Later they threatened to kill him and took three lakh taka. Still, they have not returned my son. I went to the police, but received no justice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The family alleged that the accused traffickers continue to move openly in the area without effective action taken against them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shomuda Begum said they paid the money to relatives of a broker named Ibrahim, who is reportedly in Malaysia, through his nephew Faruk. \u201cWe paid three lakh taka, but still have not got our son back,\u201d she said, adding that complaints were filed with police and local representatives, but no resolution has come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disappeared while playing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abdur Rahman, from a modest family in North Para of Shah Porir Dwip, lived a normal life filled with laughter and dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One afternoon, he went out to play and never returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, the family thought he might be with friends. But as hours turned into days, concern turned into fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few days later, a call came from an unknown number. The voice on the other end said he had been trafficked to Malaysia through local brokers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What followed was a nightmare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His brother, Abdus Salam, said, \u201cAfter taking him to Malaysia, they demanded three lakh taka. They threatened to kill him if we did not pay. We are poor people. It is impossible for us to arrange such money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every day now passes in uncertainty for the family\u2014waiting for a call, hoping for any news, staring at the door in anticipation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether Abdur Rahman is still alive remains unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alarming statistics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to law enforcement data:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 2016 to 2025, a total of 3,134 people attempting to go to Malaysia were rescued in Cox\u2019s Bazar.
Most of them were Rohingya.
A total of 115 cases were filed in Ukhiya and Teknaf police stations.
Around 1,100 people were accused.
About 600 traffickers were arrested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On January 4 this year, the navy rescued 263 victims, including women and children, from the sea southwest of Saint Martin\u2019s Island. Ten members of trafficking groups were detained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New routes and methods of trafficking<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Residents alleged that trafficking activities have recently increased around Gholar Char in Shah Porir Dwip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to them, the network operates in several stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, local brokers target teenagers and young men, offering dreams of football careers or better jobs abroad. In some cases, victims are abducted directly while outside their homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, victims are quickly moved to hidden locations before families can begin searching. They are then taken to remote coastal points where small trawlers are prepared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third, under the cover of night, they are transported into deep sea, where they are transferred to larger vessels heading toward Malaysia or Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fourth, ransom demands begin. Families said traffickers based abroad call and demand large sums of money. They threaten torture or death if the money is not paid. In some cases, victims\u2019 cries or sounds of abuse are played over the phone to pressure families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fifth, even after ransom is paid, many victims never return. Some remain missing, while others are feared dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investigations indicate that both local brokers and an international network are involved. Local recruiters hand over victims to overseas operatives, and ransom money is shared among them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Families alleged that many of these traffickers have operated for years and remain beyond the reach of law due to local influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also allegations that many victims are taken by force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trafficking through 15 coastal points<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least 15 points in Teknaf are reportedly used regularly for trafficking under the cover of darkness, according to the reporter\u2019s findings. A well-organized network of brokers is said to be involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multiple local sources, intelligence reports, and victim accounts identified several individuals allegedly linked to trafficking networks in Shah Porir Dwip and surrounding areas. Attempts to contact the accused for comment were unsuccessful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police response: \u201cOperations ongoing\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officer-in-Charge Saiful Islam of Teknaf Model Police Station said, \u201cHuman trafficking is an international crime. We are highly active in preventing it. Regular operations are ongoing, and several suspects have already been arrested.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that recent information about boats heading to Malaysia is being verified, and surveillance in coastal areas has been strengthened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Waiting in despair<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An invisible fear now grips the coast of Teknaf. Just as waves return to the shore, will the lost sons return home?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anas\u2019s mother still waits at the door, startled by every sound, hoping it might be her son returning. But as time passes, that hope fades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A simple temptation, a single call\u2014\u201cWill you go abroad to play?\u201d\u2014and boys like Anas disappear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those small steps that left home never return. Calls come, demands come, fear comes\u2014but the person never comes back.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Those small steps that left home never return. Calls come, demands come, fear comes\u2014but the person never comes back. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":77,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[11,10],"class_list":["post-76","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-coxs-bazar","tag-11","tag-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}