ABOUT THE PROJECT

LOGLINE
Amena’s son was illegally trafficked by boat from southern Bangladesh. She teams up with trafficking survivor Abdus to retrace her son's steps, exposing the impact of human trafficking on those left behind.

SYNOPSIS
Joynal is one of many young Bangladeshis who left their country in search of a better life. Human traffickers lured him onto a dangerous boat journey from southern Bangladesh to Malaysia, promising an escape from poverty. Countless victims perish during the journey or end up imprisoned at their destination. Joynal has been missing for eight years. His mother, Amena, has been trying to find him ever since and refuses to give up hope.

On her search, she encounters Abdus, who drives electric three-wheelers on routes near her home village. He is a trafficking survivor and worked illegally in Malaysia for 5 years, before returning home with his earnings. He remains haunted by his experience but agrees to help Amena. Together, the two visit different people and places to find traces of Joynal.

Recently, a national newspaper featured pictures of several Bangladeshi migrants imprisoned in Malaysia. One of them bears an eerie resemblance to Joynal, reigniting Amena’s hope of finding her son. Amena’s quest to find her lost son and to find answers takes the viewer deep into the opaque world of illegal human trafficking, standing in for countless others who lost their loved ones to these dangerous boat journeys.

The story of GHOST BOAT continues to unfold today, with hundreds of young men embarking on the same treacherous expedition every month.

PROJECT TYPE Documentary Feature / Film Essay

DIRECTOR Tanim Yousuf
PRODUCER Patrick Hamm, Arif Yousuf
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Joytu Sushil Ziku

WEBSITE linktr.ee/ghostboatfilm

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