Birth control for Rohingyas
Sajidul Haque,
Published: 21 Sep 2013 05:07 PM BdST Updated: 21 Sep 2013 06:37 PM BdST
A parliamentary panel has recommended special birth control measures for Rohingya refugee families in Bangladesh who want bigger family members to secure more rations.
Children born in these families in the Cox's Bazar refugee camps get full rations after birth.
The standing committee on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recommended stopping rations for children after the first two.
Panel members, after a visit to the Kutupalang camp at Ukhiya on Aug 17 and 18, say the problem is worsening as the Myanmar Rohingyas are outnumbering the locals with each passing day.

ফাইল ছবি
The government estimates around 30,000 Rohingyas are currently staying in the two camps in Cox's Bazar.
It is believed that around half a million undocumented Rohingyas are staying in Bangladesh or have migrated to other countries from here.
Myanmar has ignored repeated calls by Bangladesh to take back its citizens.
Dhaka claims the illegal Rohingyas are involved with various criminal activities.
They have also been caught while accepting fake Bangladeshi passports.
Parliamentary panel's chief Nilufar Zafar Ullah, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, and committee member Nazma Akter visited the Rohingya camps to see for themselves the problem on ground.
The committee on Sept 18 submitted a report, a copy of which is available with bdnews24.com.
It says the number of Rohingyas are increasing in comparison to the locals.
Each registered refugee gets 12 kg rice each month. They are not interested in birth control as a child gets full ration from the day it is born.
Panel members found families with as many 18 members.
Speaking to bdnews24.com, Nilufer Zafar Ullah said the Rohingya population was on the rise since they get ration.
"One of the problem is their outnumbering the locals and so, birth control measures have been recommended," she said.
According to the report, 58 percent of 30,000 Rohingyas at the two camps were born in Bangladesh.
There are 23 schools in the camps and the committee said the refugees were getting 'better' facilities than the locals.
Emphasising on the repatriation of the Rohingyas, Nilufer said, the refugees wanted to go back to their country. She said stakeholders had been asked to hold talks to send them back to Myanmar.
More stories
-
Bangladeshi faces deportation after 25 years in Canada
-
Rival student groups clash again at DU
-
CCTV surveillance for municipal polls
-
2 die in Dhaka road accidents
-
4 die in truck-Laguna collision in Sirajganj
-
Condemned to death, ex-HuJI chief Mufti Hai arrested
-
UNHCR chief ‘worried’ over Rohingya financing
-
Jamuna’s banks hit by erosion in Sirajganj
Recent Stories
-
Hasina seeks overseas support for executing Delta Plan to improve lives
-
Bangladeshi faces deportation, separation from family after 25 years in Canada
-
Ten days ahead of Hajj, Bangladesh raises travel package prices by Tk 59,000
-
Student wings of BNP, Awami League clash again at Dhaka University
-
EC arranges CCTV surveillance for municipal polls
-
2 die in separate Dhaka road accidents
Opinion
Most Read
- Bangladeshi faces deportation, separation from family after 25 years in Canada
- Bangladesh to set uniform dollar exchange rate amid currency volatility
- Texas gunman warned online of attack minutes before rampage that killed 19 children
- Nagar Baul, Miles withdraw cases against Banglalink
- Student wings of BNP, Awami League clash again at Dhaka University
- ‘Worried’ over funding, UNHCR chief Grandi urges focus on Rohingya amid Ukraine war
- Putin says 'Thank God' some foreign companies have left Russia
- Bangladesh names its longest bridge after Padma River as it opens on Jun 25
- High Court denies 4 North South University trustees anticipatory bail, turns them over to police
- Texas massacre shocks, but gunfire at US schools at record high