Teknaf, Bangladesh: The Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) pushed back 17 Rohingyas including women and children to Burma on January 11, at about 5 pm after arresting them from Teknaf and Whykong Lamber Bill, according to a BDR official.
Five Rohingyas were arrested from a hotel in Teknaf on January 11. They were three women, a child and a man. The other 12 Rohingyas were arrested from Whykong Lamber Bill. They recently crossed the Burma- Bangladesh border.
The BDR 42 Battalion Commander of Teknaf Col Mozammel Hossain confirmed it.
Recently, Rohingya Driving Committees were formed in border areas, especially in Teknaf, Ukiya and Cox’s Bazaar. Some of the committee members in Teknaf, Ukiya and Link Road of Cox’s Bazaar arrest Rohingyas when they meet on the road and hand them over to police and then to BDR for push back to Burma, said a Rohingya man who declined to be named.
On January 10, ten houses owned by Rohingya people in Titar Para of Ramu under the Cox’s Bazaar district were destroyed by local people and 15 Rohingyas arrested. But, at present, the arrested Rohingyas are being sheltered by a local man named Abu Talek, said a local from Ramu.
The arrested Rohingyas are identified as Ms Nur Asha (30), wife of late Md. Hussain and her two children, Abul Monsor, son of Abu Talek, Abu Sayed, son of late Noor Mohamed, Ms Amina Khatoon, wife of Abdu Shukur, Abdu Khalek (47), son of late Kadir Hussain, his wife Shuna Banu (35), his sons Abdu Rahim and Abdu Rahaman, Ms Shamat Ara Begum, Toki Uddin (25), Md. Rofique (30), Shoffique Rahaman, and Ms Rehena Begum.
Abdu Khalek, reporter of Bakkaly daily local newspaper said that many Rohingyas will be arrested in future. It was confirmed that 10 houses of Rohingya families were destroyed in Ramu. Making it to the voters list and getting passports of Bangladesh nationals, they went abroad, and committed many crimes tainting Bangladesh’s image. He also warned Bangladeshi people that if any one gives shelter to the Rohingyas, he/she will be punished. Those in voter lists or having passports will also be punished.
Jahingir Alam Sikdar (AL), Abdu Rahim (reporter) Al Hajj Idris Sikdar, BNP Chairperson of Cox’ Bazaar called “ to cancel Rohingya people from the voter list or Bangladesh will be ruined.”
Upar Zilar election officer Noor Alam said, “We cancel Rohingy people from the voter lists, if any one submits strong documents that he/she is not a Bangladeshi.”
After movement restriction, the refugees of unregistered camp of Kutupalong are facing difficulties to eke out a living. They are arrested by authorities when they go out of their camp to search for work in local areas, said a refugee from the camp.
Recently, the Teknaf MP summoned 12 people to his local office, and asked them to arrest any Rohingya when they saw them, if the government does not fulfill their seven-point demand by January 15.
A local Bengali newspaper stated that polio did not exist in Bangladesh before 2006, but it started after the arrival of Rohingya refugees. Education of local Banglai students is destroyed because of Rohingya refugees.
“State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku on January 9, said Rohingyas are hampering the law and order situation in the country. The Rohingyas are also involved in militancy and creating various types of law and order-related problems here,” he said at a law and order meeting at the local circuit house in Cox’s Bazaar.
A seven-member delegation led by Director General of Bangladesh Rifles Maj Gen Md Mainul Islam Left for Dhaka for Burma on a five-day visit on January 9, to discuss border related issues with Burmese authorities.
