Teknaf, Bangladesh: An additional 17 Rohingya were pushed back to Burma by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) of Shapuri Dip at the border point of Teknaf on April 17, at about 2 p.m., said a source close to the BGB.
On that day, at about 6 a.m., the group was arrested by BGB personnel from Bazaar Para of Shapuri Dip of Teknaf Union under Cox’s Bazaar District while they were roaming at the market after coming to Bangladesh from Sittwe (Akyab), the capital of Arakan State, with an engine boat.
The arrested were all men, and the BGB personnel of Shapuri Dip Camp arrested them and brought the men to their camp for interrogation.
According to the arrested, they came to Bangladesh to look for work as is no work for them in Sittwe. They paid 7,000 kyats to the engine boat owner who delivered them to Bangladesh. After unloading the passengers, the boat driver returned to Sittwe.
After interrogation, the BGB personnel forced back all the arrestees to Burma at around 4 p.m., said a source close to the BGB.
The details of the case were also confirmed by a BGB official from Teknaf, said a local from Teknaf.
On April 11, the BGB also pushed back 6 Rohingya to Burma. However, every day, Rohingya continue to cross the Burma-Bangladesh border for many purposes.
BGB personnel are on red alert at the border area and arrest any Rohingya they meet at border areas and force them back to Burma, said a man at the border who declined to be named.
