Teknaf, Bangladesh: A refugee was arrested by camp police for repairing TVs, radio, and mobile phones in the camp, said a relative of the victim.
The victim is Kala Meah (27), son of Zalal Hussain, MRC # 1959, Shed # 1035 and Room # 5 of Nayapara refugee camp, Cox’s Bazaar in Bangladesh. He is an electrician and also a student. He earns some money by repairing electrical goods in the camp.
On March 22, at about 9:30 pm, police providing security to refugees entered the victim’s shed, arrested and brought him to the police barracks near the refugee camp along with his tools. There he was tortured severely.
The police demanded Taka 5,000 for his release. But, the victim was unable to pay as he was very poor. So, he was sent to the camp-in-charge, said a friend of the victim.
The next day morning, a group of refugee committee members went to the camp-in-charge to get him released. The camp officer released him, after scolding the victim, telling the refugee committee members that they did not comply with the rules and regulations of the police. But, the tools of the victim were not returned.
Besides, the police also arrest all the refugees they meet at the gate of the camp when the refugees return to the camp after working outside without permission from the authorities. They are released after taking Taka 500 to 1,000 per head. Refugees are not allowed to go out of the camp to work, said a refugee committee member, who declined to be named.
Police also enter the camp at about 9:00 pm, and arrest all the refugees they meet outside the sheds and release them after beating them up. It is injustice to keep refugees inside the sheds during the hot nights, said a woman refugee from the camp.
A refugee leader from the camp said, “The weather is very hot and the hut is also very small, so the refugees go out of their sheds at night and sit in front of the sheds in the camp. Is that a crime?”
A refugee committee member on condition of anonymity said, “It is similar to Burma. We are kept inside the camp and have no activity. Like Nasaka (Burma’s border security force) and army in Burma, police in Bangladesh arrest us illegally and extort money.”
