BGB turns back 34 boats of Rohingyas

Border Guard Bangladesh has prevented around 450 Rohingya Muslims, mostly women and children, from entering Bangladesh in 10 hours up to Sunday morning. The border guard personnel turned back 34 boats carrying the Rohingya people from the Naf River, Lieutenant Colonel Abu Jar Al Zahid, commanding officer of BGB battalion-2 in Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar, told New Age. BGB personnel intercepted the boats at Nilha, Damdamia, and Teknaf points till 8:00am, he said. The Rohingya people were trying to enter Bangladesh fleeing the violence in Rakhine state of Myanmar, he said. Besides, the border guard personnel detained 20 Rohingyas of three families at Kutupalang point on Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf Road under Ukhia upazila in Cox’s Bazar Sunday morning. Lieutenant Colonel Imran Ullah Sarker, commanding officer of BGB battalion-34, Cox’s Bazar, confirmed the news of detention. Witnesses said around 160 Rohingya people of 27 families intruded into Bangladesh this morning and took refuge at Kutupalang makeshift refugee camps. About 34,000 Rohingya Muslims entered Bangladesh since mid October, according to United Nations High Commission for Refugees and International Organisation for Migration. Source: New Age