More than 20 people missing after fishing boat sinks off Bangladesh

A fishing boat overloaded with migrants bound for Malaysia sank in heavy waves off the coast of Bangladesh on January 29 and 24 passengers are missing, police said.

"About two dozen people are still missing," and 32 others have been rescued, according to local police chief Masud Alam.

Rescue workers said the shipwreck occurred 2.5km from land in the Bay of Bengal.

According to the local police chief, rescuers reported that there were up to 60 people on board, all of whom were Bangladeshi citizens attempting to illegally enter Malaysia.

Meanwhile, private TV channel Somoy said the number of people on board could be up to 100, and the sinking area was near Bangladesh's Kutubdia island.

The ship encountered heavy waves soon after leaving the southern port city of Chittagong.

According to AFP, every year thousands of Bangladeshis and Myanmar's Rohingya minority seek to enter Malaysia on arduous journeys of up to 3,200km.

Human rights groups say many people have fallen into the hands of human traffickers and that the Bangladesh coast guard is actively cracking down on such gangs, but with limited success.

According to VNA