The police arrested 37 Rohingyas, including 21 children, while they were attempting to enter Bangladesh illegally by boat from Myanmar. This occurred on Tuesday, October 8, at about 10 PM in the Jahajpura area of Baharchhara Union, Teknaf.
Among those arrested, there are 21 children, 12 women, and 4 men. Reports indicate that they all come from different villages in the city of Maungdaw, Myanmar.
Local residents stated that more than a hundred Rohingyas arrived by fishing trawlers from Shamlapur, Teknaf, in Cox's Bazar. Among them, locals detained 37 people and turned them over to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). At least 63 others were able to flee and find shelter in a nearby camp.
Teknaf Model Police Station's Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Gias Uddin confirmed the arrests, stating that the Rohingyas were apprehended while illegally entering from Myanmar by boat, aided by local residents and brokers. The detainees have since been handed over to the BGB.
Arrested Rohingya Rezia Begum said, "The Arakan Army has burned our homes. They were telling us to build a camp. Our village has been bombed, and many people are dying. So, to save our lives, we came to the banks of the Naf river. There, we took a boat to enter Bangladesh. The brokers took 15,000 taka from each of us."
Rohingya Fatema Begum said, "The Arakan Army is inflicting a lot of oppression and torture on us. They are killing many people in front of us with drones. They have taken away our money and jewelry. While we were crying at the banks of the Naf river, a boat showed up, picked us up, and transported us to Bangladesh before leaving.
Amhad Hossain Khokon, the chairman of Baharchhara Union in Teknaf, said that members of the trafficking ring bring Rohingyas from Myanmar in exchange for money. They later drop them off at the seashore. Most of them are children. They have been provided with food assistance initially.
Bd -pratidin English/Afia
