Border News Agency 
Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar September 20, 2025

Bangladesh Coast Guard and Navy force rescued 66 people, including 21 children and 23 women, from a human trafficking den in the hills of Baharchhara Union in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar.

According to officials, the joint operation was conducted Thursday evening after intelligence revealed that traffickers were preparing to send the victims to Malaysia by sea. The rescued individuals, most of them Rohingya refugees, had been held in secret hideouts in Kachhapia hill for several days.

Authorities said many of the victims were lured with promises of jobs in Malaysia, while others were confined and threatened for ransom. Several were found in traumatized condition.

During the raid, traffickers managed to flee the scene, and no arrests were made. The rescued men, women, and children have been placed under the care of local authorities, and a case is being filed at Teknaf Police Station.

Human trafficking remains a major threat in Cox’s Bazar, where Rohingya refugees, with little access to livelihood opportunities, are frequently targeted by smuggling networks. Officials say surveillance has been intensified to prevent further attempts and to bring the traffickers to justice.