News
No. 85/2012, Saturday,
September 15, 2012
ROHINGYA Muslims continue to sneak into different
districts of the Chittagong Hill Tracts after crossing the border from Myanmar
into Bangladesh, according to media reports.
Hundreds of Rohingya Muslims began to flee their homes in
Rakhaine state of Myanmar
following ethnic violence erupted in May. Initially, they came to Teknaf border
point in country boats to seek refuge in Bangladesh.
But the government of Bangladesh
refused them shelter and pushed them back.
However, that did not stop the influx of the Rohingya
people who changed their route and entered Nakyongchari, Alikadam, Lama and
Thanchi of Bandarban district through the porous land borders.
There are occasional media reports of Rohingya refugees
being detained in these areas. But the concern is how many of them go
undetected given the fact that most of these areas have already turned into
Bengali majority areas and also host a sizable number of Rohingya people who
had earlier settled there illegally. Both the Bengalis and Rohingyas share the
same appearance, same language and same culture, and once the Rohingya people
are able to mix with the local population it will be difficult to identify and
deport them.
Thanks to continuous infiltration of Bengali and Rohingya
people, Bandarban has seen a dramatic increase in its population in the last
decade. According to the 2011 census report, the district’s population has
increased from 3,11,570 persons in 2001 to 4,04,093 in 2011. The rate of
increase is 2.64 percent, which is much above the national average of 1.37.
Thus in four decades since the independence of Bangladesh,
Bandarban has turned into a Bengali majority district in the CHT, and if the
influx of new Rohingya Muslim settlers continues unchecked the indigenous Jumma
people in Bandarban will soon face total extermination.
Recent arrests of Rohingya
28 August Sangbad24.com
Twenty three Rohingya Muslims were arrested by police while
entering Bangladesh
territory on Tuesday morning, 28 August.
Officer-in-charge of Nakyongchari police station, Azad said
they would be charged with illegal entry into Bangladesh.
7 September, Daily Purbokone
Twelve
Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar’s
Arakan state including 6 persons of a single family were arrested in a military
raid in Alikadam.
The
army conducted the raid after receiving a tip-off about their presence and
arrested them from Kana Majhir Ghat area of Alikadam. The Rohingyas were headed
for an orchard house for work.
They
were handed over to the police after interrogation.
12
September, Daily Purbokone, Prothom Alo
On
10 September, eight Rohingya Muslims were arrested by a joint patrol team of
the army and police personnel in Belaichari of Rangmati district.
According
to the police, the arrested people had crossed into Bangladesh
from Myanmar
through Teknaf border about one week ago and reached Farua of Belaichari from
there trekking hilly and forest paths.
They
were arrested from a motorized boat at the hospital ghat and were produced
before the court the next day, Tuesday. They hail from Chohaparang, Buchidong
district, Myanmar.
14
September, Suprobhat Bangladesh
The
Border Guards Bangladesh on Thursday, 13 September, arrested 19 Myanmar
Rohingya nationals from Nakyongchari on charges of illegal entry into Bangladesh.
They
were arrested immediately after entering Bangladesh
territory through Tumbru-Baishphari border in Ghumdhum Union.
The
arrested Rohingyas are from Mongdu district of Myanmar and comprised of both
male and female citizens.
They
were pushed back into Myanmar
after providing them with food and medical services.
15
September, Suprobhat Bangladesh
The
Border Guards Bangladesh personnel yesterday arrested seven Myanmar
nationals (Rohingya) from Tumbru border point in Ghumdhum Union in Nakyongchari
and deported them back immediately. They hail from Buchidong in Rakhine state.
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