Teknaf, Bangladesh:  Eighty five Rohingyas were arrested by police and Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) from border areas yesterday. They crossed the Burma-Bangladesh border illegally, said a police aide from Teknaf on condition of anonymity.  

They were arrested from Shapuri Dip, Jala of Para Safran union, Teknaf union and other places under the Cox’s Bazaar district in Bangladesh yesterday.

They are now in Teknaf police station. They will be sent to Cox’s Bazaar jail on cases filed against them on the Border Crossing Act.

Earlier, the arrested Rohingyas were handed over to BDR by the police to be pushed back to Burma. Now the BDR hands over the arrested Rohingyas to the police, who send them to jail.

The authorities have changed their policy regarding arrested Rohingyas. They will be sent to jail instead of being sent back to Burma.

The arrested, mostly came to Bangladesh to seek work as in Arakan State, Burma, there is a scarcity of jobs to support family members, said a man with a good rapport with the Teknaf police station, quoting one of those arrested.  

Today, Teknaf police station will send the arrested to Cox’s Bazaar jail after filing cases against them.

Yesterday, four Rohingyas arrested on May 4 were sent to Cox’s Bazaar jail from border areas. Four other Rohingyas were pushed back to Burma, said a local informer from Teknaf.