39 foreign nationals arrested in Cox’s Bazar

Police have detained 39 foreign nationals for attempting to enter the Rohingya refugee camps at Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya without proper permissions.

They were detained at a checkpoint on Ukhiya’s Shaheed ATM Jafar Alam Road on Sunday afternoon, said Cox’s Bazar Additional Superintendent of Police Afruzul Haque Tutul.

Several of the foreign nationals are employed by international organisations and entered the Rohingya camps on ‘tourist visas’, he said.

Details regarding their countries of origin have yet to be confirmed.

According to the police officer, various security checkpoints have been set up on various roads in and out of Ukjiya and Teknaf to prevent Rohingya refugees from moving beyond the camp area.

“The passports and other documents of the foreign nationals were checked and it was confirmed that they had entered Bangladesh on tourist visas,” he said.

They were then taken to Ukhiya Police Station for questioning regarding their attempts to enter the Rohingya refugee camps without permission, he said.

“The detainees are employed by various private organisations, including some international ones, at the Rohingya camps. But they do not have work permits and entered Bangladesh on tourist visas.”

The police official said the administration would decide what to do with the detainees after questioning.