Ukhiya, Bangladesh: A group of Local goons are collecting from the refugee woodcutters who go to forest to collect firewood, said a refugee from Kutupalong camp.
“Some local goons go to forest and collect tolls from the official and unofficial refugees. They collect taka 20 to 30 per head.”
A registered refugee Mostafa Kamal (30), block-G of Kutupalong official camp accompanied by other refugees went to the forest to collect firewood on July 24. They couldn’t pay money the local goons who collect money as the goons were not present in the morning that day, said another refugee.
He returned with firewood alone at noon while the local goons met him and asked money. He wanted to pay money 20 taka, but they didn’t satisfied. They demanded him to pay 2000 taka as punishment for denied.
Suddenly, a dacoit Shajahan of Modur Chara of Kutupalong started severally beating Mostafa Kamal with axe till become unconscious.
On hearing cry and scream, some refugee youths went to the spot and recovered him, but local goons ran away. He is treated in the Kutupalong refugee clinic.
According to refugees, some local goons have been collecting tolls from the unofficial and official refugees for long times.
Besides, local people hijacked two truck loaded of rice bags where an NGO distributed rice to the unregistered refugees of Kutupalong makeshift camp on July 26 morning, according to a refugee of camp. “The NGO brought three trucks with ful load of rice bags and they only distributed one truck and the rest two trucks attacked and looted by local where the local had also beaten the refugees where the refugees tried to stop the trucks.”
