Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh: Five Arakanese Rohingya refugees were arrested by police on February 3, and sent to Cox’s Bazar jail while on their way to Cox’s Bazar from Nayapara camp to work, said a  relative of  one of  the arrested refugees who declined to be named.

They were identified as Md. Faisal (23), son of Akter Hussain, MRC # 35383, Shed #1030, Room# 1, Block-B, Rohim Ullah ( 21), son of Hadi Bokshu, MRC # 454519, Shed # 37, Room # 4, Block- D,   Amir Hussain( 20), son of  Hussain Ahmed, MRC #454895, Shed # 2, Room # 3,  Block-B, Md. Hussain (22), son of Abdu Shukur, MRC # 49898, , Shed # 710, Room # 2, Block-B, and Sayed Hussain (21), son of Noor Mohamed,  MRC# 37202, Shed # 1022, Room # 1, Block-B. All the refugees are from Nayapara registered camp.

They were picked up from link-road of Teknaf-Cox’s Bazar high way while they were traveling to Cox’s Bazar by bus. On hearing about it, Mr. Rofigue, the Protection Assistant Officer for refugees went to the spot to set them free from the police, but failed. Although, the refugees showed their refugee identity cards, the next day, they were sent to Cox’s Bazaar Jail for illegal entry. 

The mother of arrested Md. Faisal went to Camp-in-Charge of Nayapara camp to get permission to go to Cox’s Bazar to see her arrested son. But, the camp officer did not give her permission, said a refugee from Nayapara camp.

Between February 3 and 4, in Cox’s Bazar district including border areas another 80 Arakanese Rohingyas were arrested. But, whether they were pushed back to Burma or sent to jail or released was not available, said an Arakanese Rohingya from Cox’s Bazar. 

The Arakanese Rohingya people in Bangladesh are in a critical situation. The police arrest Arakanese Rohingya people or refugees wherever they see them in Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf highway or other border areas.

Most of the refugees from Leda (Tal) and Kutupalon unregistered camps have been facing myriad difficulties, especially food crisis because of no support from any quarter and no jobs to support their families. Meanwhile, refugees keep getting arrested by the police when they go out of the camp for work. They are confined to the camps, said a refugee elder from Leda.

There are about 12,000 refugees in Leda and over 40,000 refugees in Kutupalong unregistered camps. They are living in miserable conditions.

A woman refugee from the unregistered Kutupalong camp said, “Our husbands or heads of families were arrested and sent to jail. As a result, the rest of the family members are facing food shortage because they were the bread earners.”

An elderly widow from the unofficial Kutupalong camp said, “Is there no one to save us from such a woeful condition?”