Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar: Police from the Ukhiya Police Station under Cox's Bazar district destroyed an unofficial refugee camp surrounding the Kutupalong refugee camp on December 23, at about 3 pm, on the allegation that the refugees are setting up tents in forest department land, said our correspondent. 

According to the refugees, they did not set up tents on forest department areas and the land is owned by the government. 

The police accompanied by forest staff and local people went to the unofficial refugee camp surrounding the Kutupalong camp and destroyed more than 80 huts of refugees without informing the refugees. They also destroyed some belonging of refugees like plate and kitchenware. The refugees fled in fear of arrest and torture by the police. After the police, the staff of the forest department and local people withdrew the refugees came back to their camp.

A woman Noor Begum (22) a mother of one child was left behind at the refugee camp while all the refugees fled after leaving their huts on seeing the police. She was forcibly pushed out of her hut by the police.

The refugees passed the night sleeping under the open sky in foggy and cold weather. Some refugee children and elderly people caught cough and cold related diseases.

However, on December 24, the refugees started re-building their tents with bushes at the bottom of the hill near the Kutupalong official refugee camp. No one created any obstacles.

"We were expelled from the local village in January 2008, while the government was updating the voter's list across the country. We have no place to go. We want to stay here peacefully. But, our huts were destroyed by the authorities. What the reasons are, we don't know, said a refugee named Salamat Ullah.