Hundreds of Rohingya reported ‘fleeing’ homes in Rakhine before repatriation conference

Hundreds of Rohingya are reported to have abandoned their homes in Myanmar’s Rakhine state and gathered near the Bangladesh border, fearing fresh conflict just ahead of an international conference on Rohingya repatriation in Cox’s Bazar. 

Residents in refugee camps on the Bangladesh coast said they were receiving accounts from relatives across the border, who described intensified troop deployments by Myanmar’s junta south of Merulla in Maungdaw township.

The reports have sparked panic among Rohingya communities. Sounds of shelling from Rakhine have also been heard across the frontier, refugees said.

Lieutenant Colonel Ashiqur Rahman, commander of Teknaf-2 Border Guard Battalion, confirmed heightened vigilance. 

“Some people are trying to infiltrate the border, but we are not allowing anyone in. We have strengthened patrols at the points they are attempting to cross,” he said.

The developments come as Cox’s Bazar prepares to host a three-day international conference on Rohingya repatriation from Sunday, drawing global attention back to the plight of the displaced minority.