Rohingya entering Bangladesh through agents

A large number of Rohingyas from Maungdaw in Myanmar’s Rakhine state have been entering Bangladesh crossing the Naf River by boat with the help of agents and are taking shelter at different refugee camps in the coastal districts.

Several sources from the bordering areas said around 14,000 illegally entered Rohingyas have taken shelter in several camps in Ukhiya in the last 7-8 days while another 60,000-70,000 have gathered in the border areas to enter the country.

The crossing over of the border illegally by Rohingyas despite monitoring the Bangladesh-Myanmar border and Naf River strictly by the members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Coast Guard have made local people and the people’s representatives worried.

The sources said the ongoing fight between the armed rebel group, Arakan Army, and Myanmar security forces in Maungdaw township has intensified in the last few days. Both sides have been firing mortar rounds, grenades and bombs.

Drone attacks are also being carried out intermittently with the Arakan Army desperate to take control of two barracks of Myanmar Army and Border Guard Police (BGP).

Teknaf upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Md Adnan Chowdhury said Rohingya are infiltrating through various points of the border. A large number of them are being pushed back to Myanmar from the Naf River. Patrolling along the Naf River and along the border has been enhanced.

The rebel Arakan Army has evicted 50,000-60,000 Rohingya from five villages adjacent to Maungdaw township. Currently there are more than 300,000 Rohingyas living in the Rakhine state.

Several hundred Rohingyas, fled from Maungdaw township, have taken shelter at camp No. 24 at Naya Para in Teknaf while at least 1000 Rohingya, most of who are women and children, have taken shelter in several camps at nearby Jadimura, Muchni and other areas.

At least 160 newly arrived Rohingya from Maungdaw were found at block E of Naya Para camp Sunday afternoon. Hakim Ali, 51, a member of them, told Prothom Alo that they crossed Naf River by boat on 4 September night and had taken shelter at a relative’s room at the camp.

Hakim arrived in Bangladesh along with his wife, five sons and two daughters and are living in a crammed room. They had to pay the agents 500,000 Myanmar Kyat (18 Kyat = 1 taka) for each person. A boat can carry 10-12 persons.

Rehana Begum, 45, another newly arrived Rohingya woman said the fight between Arakan Army and junta forces in Maungdaw has intensified. Mortar rounds have destroyed her house while her husband is missing. She fled to Teknaf in Bangladesh with her three children five days ago.

She also had to pay the agents 500,000 Myanmar Kyat for each person.

Over 300 newly arrived Rohingya people have taken shelter in 34 rooms at block E of Naya Para camp, said the block’s leader Nurul Alam. Almost all the Rohingya arrive at the camps through the agents.

Several thousands of Rohingya people have entered the camps at Lambashia, Kutupalong and Balukhali in Ukhiya. Habib Ullah, 45, took shelter at Lambashia camp three days ago. He told Prothom Alo that his house had been destroyed in mortar rounds 11 days ago. He was hiding in a mangrove forest nearby for a few days. After seven days he got a boat to flee to Bangladesh.

Around 12,000-14,000 new Rohingyas have taken shelter in various camps in Teknaf and Ukhia until Sunday evening, said refugee relief and rehabilitation commissioner (RRRC) joint secretary Mohammad Mizanur Rahman.

He told Prothom Alo that the newly arrived Rohingya, including the bullet hit and other injured, are sharing rooms of their relatives.

Mizanur Rahman said they have been providing medical treatment to the Rohingyas but no decision has been made about their residence facility.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, foreign adviser Touhid Hossain said about 8,000 new Rohingya crossed the border until then.

He further said they were taking a decision to stop any illegal crossover.

Mahbubur Rahman, general secretary of the Cox’s Bazar chapter of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN), said despite stringent measures, such entrance of Rohingyas has created concerns among the local people.

He further said currently more than 500,000 are there in Rakhine state. A new crisis will be created if they too arrive in Bangladesh. Any encroachment must be stopped immediately.

Currently, the number of registered Rohingya living in 33 camps in Ukhia and Teknaf is 1.25 million. Of them, 800,000 arrived in several months after 25 August 2017. But Bangladesh could not send back a single Rohingya to Myanmar in the last seven years.

Speaking about this, Mohammad Jubair, chairman of Arakan Society for Peace and Human Rights, said the United Nations and the international community are not giving due importance to the Rohingya crisis. That is why more Rohingya are infiltrating the country.The Rohingya are dying in the fight between the Arakan Army and the junta force in Rakhine as well. The international community must come forward to stop this fight.

* The report, originally published in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten in English by Shameem Reza