A recent claim has gone viral on Facebook, alleging that 33 members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), formerly known as BDR, have gone missing during a mission in the Naf River in Teknaf. However, FactWatch’s investigation reveals that this claim is not accurate. The origin of the claim stems from a tragic incident in which a boat carrying Rohingya refugees capsized near the jetty on the western shore of Shah Porir Dwip in Teknaf while attempting to enter Bangladesh by sea illegally. During a rescue operation, one BGB member went missing in the sea. This single incident has been misrepresented and disseminated as the disappearance of 33 BGB members.
In an effort to verify the claim, a relevant keyword search led to a report published on Saturday, March 22, by the Bengali edition of The Daily Star. According to the report, a boat carrying Rohingyas from Myanmar capsized near the coastal area of Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar. By 4:30 PM on Saturday, Border Guard Bangladesh had rescued 25 Rohingya men, women, and children. However, one BGB member and several other individuals were reported missing.
Citing Lt. Col. Mohammad Ashiqur Rahman, Commander of Teknaf-2 BGB Battalion, The Daily Star stated that upon receiving information about the incident, BGB personnel conducted a rescue operation with the assistance of local fishermen and managed to rescue 25 individuals, including children. During the operation, one BGB member went missing in the sea. Although the boat was recovered, the missing persons could not be located.
Desh Rupantor also reported on the incident, quoting Abdul Mannan, a Union Parishad member from Shah Porir Dwip in Teknaf. He stated that he received news about a trawler carrying Rohingya refugees from Myanmar capsizing, resulting in the disappearance of several Rohingyas and one BGB member.
Confirming the boat capsizing incident, Abdul Gafur, General Secretary of the West Para Fishermen’s Wharf in Shah Porir Dwip, told Desh Rupantor that he had heard about the sinking of a boat carrying Rohingyas during an illegal entry attempt around midnight. Fishermen reported that a BGB member involved in the rescue also went missing, and several Rohingyas were rescued.
A report published by Prothom Alo disclosed the identity of the missing BGB member. He is Mohammad Belal, 28, a sepoy of the BGB, stationed at the Shah Porir Dwip border outpost under the Sabrang Union in Teknaf.
Further verification by FactWatch led to a post on the verified Facebook page of Border Guard Bangladesh. The post, made around 11 PM on Saturday, dismissed the claim as misinformation. It stated, “Various social media platforms are spreading the rumor that 33 BGB members went missing in the Naf River during a mission over the last two days. BGB has taken note of this rumor-based disinformation circulating on social media. The information being circulated is baseless and deliberately misleading.”
The post further explained that on the early morning of March 22, a boat carrying Rohingyas capsized near the western jetty of Shah Porir Dwip in Teknaf while attempting to enter Bangladesh by sea illegally. Upon receiving information, BGB personnel on duty, along with local fishermen, launched a rescue operation and successfully rescued 24 Rohingyas alive. During the operation, rough sea conditions and the darkness of night likely caused a BGB member to slip and fall into the sea. Although the boat was recovered, the missing BGB member has yet to be found.
The post also confirmed that the search operation for the missing BGB member is ongoing. FactWatch contacted local journalist Mainuddin Hasan Sahed in Cox’s Bazar to further investigate the claim. He confirmed that only one BGB member had gone missing in the incident.
No domestic news outlet has reported any information supporting the claim that 33 BGB members went missing during a mission in the Naf River. Based on all available evidence, FactWatch concludes that the claim about 33 BGB members going missing during a mission in the Naf River is false.
Original News Source: https://www.fact-watch.org/disappearance-of-33-bgb-members-naf-river/
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Before sharing any photocard, always verify it by checking the original media source.
Sharing religious misinformation and disinformation can cause harm. Always verify before sharing.