A refugee of Leda unregistered camp was stabbed by local youths yesterday, at about 8 pm while he was returning to his camp after marketing, said a close relative of the victim who did not mention his name.
The refugee is identified as Deen Mohamed (35), son of Noor Mohamed, Room # 191, and Block # C of Leda (Tal) camp. He is also disabled.
On that day, five masked local youths stabbed the refugee in the chest and looted his mobile set and Taka 4,000. Now, the victim is being treated in the Islamic Relief clinic.
Refugees are not allowed to go out of the camp for marketing or working in local areas to support family members. They have no job no food in Leda (Tal) and Kutupalong (unofficial) camps. They do not get any support from any quarter and also have been suffering from water crisis, he added.
At present, Rohingya people living in border areas are panic stricken. Rohingyas do not dare to go from one place to another without any document.
According to sources, any Rohingya whether he/she is a refugee or not is arrested by police in Cox’s Bazaar and were sent to Bandarban jail or pushed back to Burma. If they are able to show documents, he/she will be set free.
In Cox’s Bazaar, every day, at about 4 pm, police go to the Saar Para (village), northwest of Cox’s Bazar airstrip, where many Rohingya people have been living and arrest Rohingya people. Some are sent to Bandarban jail and some to Kutupalong unofficial refugee camp. Some who are able to pay money are set free, said a Rohingya from Cox’s Bazar.
On January 28, a meeting was held at Cox’s Bazaar among government officials including MP Abdur Rahman Bodi of Teknaf. In the meeting, the MP was quoted as saying, “The Rohingyas create many problems such as--- robbery, smuggling and human trafficking and other anti-social activities. Rohingyas re-enter Bangladesh after being pushed back. The refugees must be locked in one place and police must be deployed to arrest Rohingyas.”
Since January, the police and BDR in border areas have increased arrest of Rohingya people in Bangladesh, especially in border areas and pushed them back to Burma and some were sent to Cox’s Bazaar jail.
Now, approximately 40,000 unofficial refugees including men, women and children live in the makeshift Kutupalong camp and about 10,000 refugees are living in Leda camp. The health of pregnant women and education of children are severely affected. With the onset of winter, small children catch cold bereft as they are of shelter and blankets.
In border areas, some of the organizations such as RRC (Rohingya Resistance Committee) and Youths Awareness Committee (YAC) have been formed to drive away the Rohingya people from Bangladesh.
Being a resource-strapped country, Bangladesh cannot afford to house the Rohingyas endlessly. Neither can it have them become its citizens by questionable means. It is also true that Bangladesh is not in a position to bear the extra refugee pressure as it is an over populated and poor country. Rather refugee exodus is a threat to its environment, a Rohngya leader said on condition of anonymity.
However, we should understand that pushing back is not a solution to the refugee issue. But, Rohingyas are now totally in despair due to the harsh treatment in Bangladesh. They are now realizing that Bangladesh is the only Muslim country which is sheltering them despite it not being in a position to do so. Democracy in Burma is knocking at the door. Optimistically, when a democratic government is established in Burma in the near future, the optimal situation will be prevailed in favour of ethnic minorities including the Rohingya as in the earlier period of 1962. Rohingyas have nothing left except to wait until the dream is fulfilled. Then the refugee exodus from Burma will be stopped forever and Burmese nationals who fled the country to evade atrocities of the junta will return to their homeland, he added.
But the most discriminated Rohingya ethnic minority by itself cannot bring the situation in its favour until the cooperation of world communities including Bangladesh and its people’s sympathy is ensured.
