37 Rohingya detained in Sandwip after fleeing Bhasan Char

The detainees, including 23 children, were found in Sandwip after escaping from Bhasan Char

Thirty-seven Rohingyas who fled the Bhasan Char shelter centre have been detained in Sandwip and placed in administrative custody.

Members of the Navy and police detained them in a late-night drive in the embankment area of Santoshpur Union on Friday, officials said.

Bangladesh began relocating Rohingyas to the Bhasan Char shelter centre on Dec 4, 2020, after many of them had fled killings and persecution in Myanmar’s Rakhine State and taken refuge in Cox’s Bazar.

Several thousand have since been moved there in phases.

Attempts by Rohingya refugees to flee Bhasan Char have become a recurring issue. In some cases, people have died after boats capsized at sea during escape attempts.

Local journalists in Sandwip said the group detained on Friday night had fled from Bhasan Char. Residents spotted them near the Santoshpur embankment and alerted police.

The detainees include eight men, six women and 23 children.

Sandwip Police Station chief Abu Zayed Md Nazmun Nur said they had been taken into custody after being found in the area.

“We rescued the Rohingya and took them into custody. We have heard that they fled from Bhasan Char,” he added.

The officer noted that they were being kept at the Santoshpur Union Parishad office with support from the Upazila administration and would be sent back to Bhasan Char