Teknaf, Bangladesh: Close to 250 refugee families living in the makeshift camp in Dum Dum Meah were expelled from their camp between June 11 and 18 through Majees (shed leaders) by the order of Upazilar Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Ultaf Hossain Chowdhury of Teknaf, a refugee on condition of anonymity said.
They were ordered by Majees to leave the camp because 2,000- refugees had been registered by them to be transferred from the existing camp to a new one, which was located in Leda. However, over 250-families had been excluded from the list as they had entered the makeshift camps earlier.
The UNO of Teknaf gave orders to the Majees that the enlisted 2,000 families would not be transferred to the new camp until the unregistered 250 families were driven out from the makeshift camps.
The refugees of the makeshift camp were to be transferred to the new camp from June 11, but were unable to do so due to heavy rains and also because the issue of the unregistered refugees was yet to be solved.
The Majees have driven out the said families from the camps. Their makeshift camp was waterlogged due to incessant rain accompanied by high tidal waves. The refugees left their camp without having any idea of where to go. They had no money and food for their children.
Nurul Islam, the Majee of the makeshift camp said, "If we do not drive out the unregistered refugees, we would be pushed back to Burma by the authorities. So, we unwillingly drove them out from the camp."
Janat Ara (23), wife of Sabbir Ahmed said, "We are in the camp from the beginning when it was established in Teknaf upazila. When it was shifted to Dum Dum Meah, we went to a makeshift camp in a nearby village and lived there. After 4 months, we entered the makeshift camp again after giving Taka 4,000 to Alison Majee for registration. But, we were still not registered."
An old woman from the camp said, "Hakim Majee had taken Taka 2,000 from us and other refugees for registration, but he did not include us in the registration. As a result, we have to leave the camp. At present, he does not live in the camp at night for fear of reprisal by the refugees."
