Thirty three people, carrying timber on two boats, were arrested at Naitaung Para in Teknaf by  BGB patrol parties on Nov. 28. The other 15 were nabbed by the Coast Guard at Zalia Para in Shapuri Dip. Everyone was deported the same night. The arrests and subsequent deportations have been confirmed by BGB 42 Battalion Commander Lt Col Zahid Hassan.

Since early November, the BGB have stepped up their efforts to seal the border shared with Burma. This has come despite the UN’s efforts to convince the government to provide refuge for the thousands of Rohingya – mostly women and children – fleeing sectarian violence in Arakan State that broke out in June and October. The government said Rohingya are not citizens of Bangladesh therefore they are not their problem.

There are already about 300,000 people who live in camps along the border where they receive limited assistance from the UN. In Burma, there are nearly a million Rohingya. They are denied the most basic rights like citizenship and must request permission to travel, marry and have children.