Kutupalong, Bangladesh: Rohingya refugees living in the unregistered refugee camp in Kutupalong under Ukiya police station, near the Bangladesh-Burma border, are at risk, said Meah, a member of refugee committee.
 
 “On June 16, we were not able to sleep at night as some local goons entered the camp where we had built new huts near the forest after demolition of our huts near the UNHCR official camp by the authorities. The goons tried to rob and attempted to rape the refugee women,” Meah told Kaladan News.
 
“All the adult men folk are guarding and protecting the camp. The new place is close to the forest where local goons can easily disappear,” he said.
 
The camp was destroyed by local authorities, the official camp-in-charge, police, Ansar (Reserved Police) and forest department officials on June 17. The refugees were unable to change the location where the authorities wanted to as it is much closer to the forest. There, the refugees would have been told by locals not to build their huts. There is no official order to setup the camp. It was just said by word of mouth not a written one, said Mohamed Hussain, an elder from the refugee camp.
 
According to an official source, the removing of huts from near the official camp was issued before, but the refugees were not shifted. So, the authorities had to take action and told them to stay 100 feet from the official camp.
 
Some huts were destroyed by police and Ansar, the sources said.
 
“They (authorities) destroyed our huts and cut the wood pillar like pieces of fire wood. It is not useful for us. We are unable to go to the forest as the forest department has banned us from cutting firewood. We are facing difficulties in building new huts to find wood or to buy as we have no food or money,” said Kamal, a refugee with three children.
 
We need to build the hut quickly as the monsoon is near and to keep our children in a safe place from the rains, he added.
 
“What we need is security.  How long will our brothers, sons and fathers keep us safe?” asked Sarah Khatoon.
 
The new place has no water facilities as before, where we had used the tube wall of the official camp, and their bathroom and restroom, she added.