Bangladesh opens doors for 2,970 more Rohingya people

Authorities confirmed that at least two-thirds of the 2970 fresh refuge seekers were already registered with different camps located in Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya and Teknaf Upazilas

At least 180 Rohingya people of 35 families have been relocated to a transit refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya area from their temporary shelter in Bandarban’s Ghumdhum Union Parishad office.

The Rohingya families, along with 2,790 other Rohingya men, women and children, took refuge in the temporary shelter last month when a fire burnt down their camp on the zero point of the district’s Tambru borderline following a firefight between two rival groups in Myanmar.

Bangladesh authorities said insurgent groups Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army and the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation were engaged in “intermittent shooting”, causing a death and an injury.

Border guards on the Bangladesh side earlier said the Rohingya families that fled from the camp would be sent back to the zero point once the situation calmed down.

Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Md Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury on Sunday said that the 35 families were relocated to a transit camp near the Kutupalong area in Ukhiya, based on a decision made by the National Task Force formed to deal with the fresh refugees.

“We’ll coordinate the relocation of the remaining Rohingya people soon,” he said.

Mizanur also confirmed that 23 of the 35 families have already been registered with different refugee camps, and the remaining 12 unregistered families are being processed now.

He also said two-thirds of the 2,970 fresh refuge seekers were already registered with different camps in Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya and Teknaf Upazilas.

“The registered families will be moved to their designated camps while we will decide where to accommodate the newly registered ones."

Mizanur also said the task force issued an alert for the law enforcement agencies to find out if any fresh refugees have ties to criminal and subversive activities.