Killings in Rohingya camp to disrupt repatriation process: Momen

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen has said that one after another incident is being planned in the Rohingya camps to hold back repatriation, reports UNB.

“The people who do not want to return Myanmar for their own interest might be committing one massacre after another in the camps. We will look into the matter,” he said.

The minister made the remarks in response to a question from reporters after a programme in Sylhet on Friday morning.

He, however, said he did not know the details as yet. “We are investigating the whole matter,” he said.

Momen also said a meeting was held on Thursday to discuss ways to improve law and order inside and outside the Rohingya camps.

“Even then, such a big massacre happened today. Seven people were shot to death; it is a matter of great concern.”

Momen said, “Many people say the Rohingyas in the camps are involved in drugs and arms trafficking.”

“We have discussed all these. My suggestion is if law enforcers needed to fire bullets to stop the rampant drugs and arms trade at the camps.”

Meanwhile, regarding the release of Teesta water to Bangladesh, the foreign minister said, “Our home secretary will discuss the matter with the Indian High Commission.”

“I don’t know whether India has informed us or not about water release before,” he said. “However, there will be discussions with the high commissioner on several issues.”

“Political and governmental relations between our two countries are very strong,” he said.

The foreign minister arrived in Sylhet on Friday morning on a two-day visit to attend a public awareness discussion on high blood pressure prevention and control in Sylhet district organised by National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh and Jalalabad Association.

Earlier, on Friday, in a predawn gun attack on a madrasah at Ukhiya Rohingya Camp in Cox’s Bazar left seven people dead, police said.

Superintendent of Police Shihab Kaysar and head of Armed Police Battalion-8 (APBn) said miscreants attacked Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama Al-Islamiyah Madrasah at block H-52 of Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN) camp-18 around 4:00am, leaving four people dead on the spot.

Police arrested one of the miscreants from the spot with a locally-made gun, six rounds of bullet and one knife, said the SP.