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News > Bangladesh

Bangladeshi Security Forces Detain 453 Rohingya Refugees

  • Rohingya children in a refugee camp, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

    Rohingya children in a refugee camp, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. | Photo: EFE

Published 4 May 2022
Opinion

Police spokesperson Islam argued that the arrests sought to ensure the safety of these refugees, who were subject to discriminatory attacks.

On Wednesday, Bangladeshi security forces detained 453 Rohingya refugees, an ethnic Muslim group from Myanmar, around the Cox’s Bazar for leaving their camps and allegedly harassing tourists.

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Local police spokesperson Rafiqul Islam stressed that no charges were filed against the refugees, who will wait in transit camps until the police complete their investigations.

Over the last week, tourism in Bangladesh increased considerably for the Islamic festival of Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan and by which nationals enjoy a week of vacations. This year, most visitors flocked to Cox’s Bazar city, which possesses sandy beaches and hills.

The Cox’s Bazar Hotels, Motels and Guesthouses Owners Association (CBHMGO) President Abul Kashem Shikderb criticized the presence of Rohingya people in his town, alleging that they caused discomfort to tourists.

"Some of these refugees were involved in robberies. Therefore, we asked the police to take them back to camps," Abul Kashem Shikder claimed. Islam, however, argued that the police raid sought to ensure the safety of these refugees, who were subject to discriminatory attacks.

Since August 2017, some 738,000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh for Myanmar's army persecution and violence against them, crimes the United Nations (UN) has forcibly rejected.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly one million Rohingya currently live in refugee camps in the Teknaf and Ukhiya sub-districts of the Cox’s Bazar city.

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