Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar: The police of Ukhiya police station arrested and detained nearly 40 refugees from the Kutupalong camp on February 21, regarding the clashes between the refugees and the police, a refugee leader said, on condition of anonymity.
On February 21, at about 7:00 pm, a group of police personnel from Ukhiya police station led by a police officer entered the Kutupalong camp, to arrest a refugee namely Sayed. When the police arrested Sayed, the refugees of the camp snatched him from the police and then clashes ensued between the two groups (police and refugees). Some of the police personnel were injured and the refugees ran away from the camp for fear of retaliation by the police. After that, the police personnel left the camp.
However, at about 11:00 pm, the police personnel returned to the camp with reinforcements, and arrested nearly 40 innocent refugees, took them to the police station and kept them in police custody.
Sayed was the leader of the refugees and was admired by the refugees because of his activities for the refugees. But, he was disliked by the Refugee Committee members, (formed by the government to control the camp), because he used to protect the other refugees from the committee members.
Whenever the Refugee Committee members together with the police tried to collect tax under the pretext of doing something for the refugees, Sayed barred them from collecting money. As a result, the Refugee Committee members together with the police always tried to arrest him, whenever they would get a chance, to take revenge.
Some of those arrested have been identified as Monir Alam (30), Rashid Ahmed (30), Md. Yunus (25), Md .Rofique (25), Abdul Ghofur (19), Nozu Mea (20), Abdul Ghufor (28), Rashid Ahmed (22), Abul Khasim (31), Abdu Rhaman (30), Khorim (20), Nurul Amin (28), Zamir Ahmed (23), Md. Harun (38), Eliyas (19), Moniruzzaman (36), Sayed Alam(25), Abdul Zaber (25), Akaramul Hoque (22), Shuna Ali (25), Nurul Alam (20), Muzaffar (38), Abdu Rahim (28), Shazan (22), Alim Muddin (20), Nurul Hoque (20), Shamshul Alam (50), Md Shoffee (40) and Rashid Ahmed. They are all from Kutupalong camp. ##
