Joint Forces Detain Over 600 Rohingyas Outside Camps in Ukhiya
Bangladesh Army led joint forces on Sunday detained more than 600 Rohingyas who were living outside the designated camps for forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals in Palongkhali Union of Ukhiya upazila in Cox’s Bazar district.
Ukhiya Police Station officer-in-charge Nur Ahmed said that local Bangladeshis had provided shelter to the detained Rohingyas at different locations in Palongkhali Union.
“We have urged all Rohingyas to return to their respective camps ahead of the elections. There was concern that many of them could become involved in criminal activities, including creating instability during the upcoming national parliamentary elections,” the OC said.
He added that authorities have not yet determined how many of the detained Rohingyas are registered under the joint registration system of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC).
Bangladesh is scheduled to hold its 13th National Parliamentary Election on February 12.
Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammed Mizanur Rahman said that approximately 1,000 Rohingyas had been residing in Palongkhali Union, either under the shelter of local residents or on forest land, allegedly by paying money to some officials.
“Over the past two and a half years, more than 150,000 Rohingyas have entered Bangladesh from Myanmar. Although we collected their biometric data through iris scanning, we were unable to provide shelter for all of them,” he said.
He added that Rohingyas continue to cross into Bangladesh on a daily basis.
Following a military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in August 2017, around 800,000 Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh to save their lives.
Bangladesh is currently hosting nearly 1.3 million displaced Rohingyas in camps, including approximately 32,000 children born each year.
