Teen rescued from shipping container in Malaysia, drowns in Bangladesh
KUALA LUMPUR - A 14-year-old Bangladeshi boy who was repatriated after he arrived in Malaysia in a shipping container from Chittagong around three months ago has died after drowning in a pond near his house.
Ratul Islam Fahim, who is from Monoharganj, an administrative division in Cumilla, Bangladesh, is said to have drowned while having a bath alone on April 29, as reported by The Daily Star.
His father Faruq Miah, said Ratul was mentally challenged.
“Around 2.30pm, Ratul drowned while taking a bath alone,” he said.
Mr Ashikur Rahman Hiron, chairman of the local union council, said Ratul drowned while taking a bath alone in the pond as he did not know how to swim.
In 2022, Ratul had been missing since Nov 13 before being discovered on a ship – MV Integra – in Port Klang on Jan 17, 2023.
The ship had arrived from Chittagong port in Bangladesh for Malaysia on Jan 12.
On Jan 16, sailors heard voices coming from inside an empty shipping container and reported the matter to the port authority.
On Jan 17, the ship was brought to the jetty, the container was opened and the teenager was rescued.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had said upon the boy’s discovery that the boy was found in a weak condition on Jan 17 when the ship docked at port.
Datuk Seri Saifuddin said based on investigations, there were no elements of human trafficking in this case.
Ratul was repatriated on Feb 21. - THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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