200,000 Rohingyas scatter across Cox’s Bazar!

As many as 200,000 Rohingyas have scattered all across Cox’s Bazar district, outside the camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf earmarked for them, creating public nuisance.

“Every day some 500 to several thousand Rohingya people are still entering Bangladesh through different points and some 200,000 Rohingyas have taken shelter in different corners of the district outside the camps,” Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam told Prothom Alo recently.

Additional deputy commissioner of the district Mohammed Mahidur Rahman, who is coordinating Rohingya refugee affairs, seconded the claim of the repatriation commissioner and argued that it’s very difficult to sort out Rohingyas from locals as their language is similar to the local dialect.

Cox’s Bazar locals said Rohingyas are creating different types of public nuisance as they are engaging or being engaged in various types of crimes like theft, robbery, and scuffling with locals.

Some of them have alleged that Rohingya girls were trafficked to the tourist city of Cox’s Bazar and being used in sex trade. The district authorities, however, denied the allegation. 

A rickshaw puller, identifying himself as Didar, told this correspondent that he was involved in sex trade of Rohingya girls although it was not possible to independently verify his claim.

When his attention was drawn to the rickshaw-puller’s claim, the additional deputy commissioner said he received no such report as yet.  

“Look, their language is similar to the local dialect. It’s very difficult to distinguish them from the locals. So, it is not always possible to stop Rohingyas from scattering across the district. Some 200,000 Rohingyas are staying outside the camps,” said the additional deputy commissioner.

An auto-rickshaw puller, Monir Hossain, said some Rohingyas were staying at a place near his house in Cox’s Bazar town. Later, they were sent back to Rohingya camps.

“Rohingyas are affecting our daily life. They are involved in all sorts of crime like theft and robbery and certain quarters are doing business with them,” he added.

He voiced his anger about the Rohingya influx saying, “For them, we need to carry our ID card round the clock.”

A mobile phone accessories shop-owner, Nabir Hossain, said Rohingyas often visit his shop and seek help.  

Talking about the Rohingya refugee situation, the additional deputy commissioner said relief work is now being conducted in a more systematic way through necessary coordination between all the local and international agencies working here in Bangladesh.

Asked what was the main challenge ahead regarding the safety and security of Rohingyas, the additional deputy commissioner said if they are not repatriated soon, the Rohingya refugee camps will face a disastrous situation during cyclone period just before the rainy season in the month of March-April.

“All of the shanties of the camps will be destroyed even in a short-spell of cyclones. Where will they [Rohingyas] take shelters then?” said additional DC Mahidur Rahman.

Persecution On

All the newly arrived Rohingyas have claimed that Myanmar security forces are still repressing them and forcing them to leave their own country.

Talking to Prothom Alo at Balukhali camp in Ukhiya on last Friday, four siblings - Mohammad Riaz, Mohammad Hossain, Mohammad Ayaz and Raushan Ara (pseudonym) - who arrived in Bangladesh last Thursday, claimed that their parents and another brother were killed in front of them just four days back.

The three brothers also claimed that their only sister was raped by the Myanmar security forces, saying they took their sister to a makeshift hospital in the camp and doctors found their claim true.

Raushan Ara sitting at the base of a tree next to her brothers was crying relentlessly while her brothers were narrating the ordeals she went through.

One of the newly arrived Rohingyas, Nur Hossain, who along with six members of his family fled the persecution and arrived in Bangladesh Friday morning, also claimed that the Myanmar security forces were still resorting to persecution of Rohingyas to drive them out of the country.

He said some 10,000 Rohingyas were waiting at a place near Bangladesh-Myanmar border, from where he came, to cross the border.

The claim of newly arrived Rohingyas has lent credence to the claim of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) which said it expects a further 200,000 new arrivals in coming weeks.

Community Developed

Rohingyas who came here two months back – in many cases who saw their near and dear ones being killed in front of them – and took shelter in camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf, have now developed a sort of community in Bangladesh.

Rohingya children and youths have befriended each other. They pass their time and play together. Many of them visit the nearby areas as much as they can.

Most of them have already managed to get SIM cards of local cell phone operators illegally in most of the cases and many of them are surfing social networks using smartphones and making friends among themselves.

New shops and service centres have cropped up around the refugee camps and even many Rohingyas have set up shops both inside and outside the camps to earn a living.

During the first visit to Kutupalong camp in mid September, this correspondent found a Rohingya youth, Mohammad Belal, constructing their makeshift hut in the camp.

But this time on Saturday, Belal was found sitting in his grocery shop erected near the entrance of Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp. His sales amount to Tk 1500-2000 every day.