A file photo shows, members of Border Guard Bangladesh stand guard on the bank of the River Naf in Cox’s Bazar to prevent Rohingya minorities from entering into Bangladesh.
Rohingyas who entered Bangladesh were suffering from food, shelter, and drug crises as influx of the religious minority Muslims of Myanmar’s Rakhine state into Bangladesh continued on Tuesday when 250 more sneaked into the country.
Influx of Rohingyas into Bangladesh continued as Rohingyas were desperate to save their lives in the face continuous persecution on them by Myanmar military since October 9.
Several thousand Rohingyas who sneaked through land and river borders into Bangladesh and took shelter in hill areas at Naikhyangchari in Bandarban and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar in about two months were suffering from food, shelter, worm clothes and drug crises, local people, Rohingyas and officials said.
In desperate attempts to protect their lives from Myanmar military crackdown on them in Rakhine state, many Rohingyas were now staying in the open sky and under trees while some of them were sharing accommodations with others at the unregistered camps, said locals and affected people.
Rohingyas, particularly children and elderly people, were suffering from cold-related diseases as there was no medical support for them as yet, they said.
About 250 more Rohingyas fleeing violence against them entered Bangladesh through the bordering river Naf early Tuesday.
The Border Guard Bangladesh at Cox’s Bazar pushed back at least 37 Rohingyas – 10 men, 14 women and 13 children – to Myanmar through Palangkhali point on the river Naf early Tuesday, said border guard battalion commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Imran Ullah Sarkar.
At least 15 people including women and children went missing in the river Naf after a boat capsized in the east of Zimmongkhali point when border guard police of Myanmar opened fire at them, victim families said.
Gora Mia, 45, of Rimmatong near Usingya of Northern Maungdaw in Myanmar, said over cell phone from bordering Silkhali that, Myanmar border guard police shot dead Rohingya youth Mohammad Anas, 18, son of Moulavi Nrurl Alam of Nagakora village near the river Naf Monday evening.
The youth’s body was left there till Tuesday afternoon as border guard police ordered locals not to recover the body.
Myanmar military personnel later took the body to their camp in the afternoon, he added.
About 12-15 thousand Rohingyas already entered Bangladesh crossing the river Naf and land border Tumbrou of Naikhyangchari hill upazila of Bandarban, according to officials and local people.
Most of the newcomers have taken shelter in Cox’s Bazar town, Ramu, Chakaria and Ukhiya of the district and Naikhyangchari upazila of Banderban and Chandanaish upazila in Chittagong.
Some of them have also gone to Chittagong city for shelter.
‘Some 15 members of two families have taken shelter in a rented house at Chakmarkhool union of Ramu,’ Mohammad Ali of Chakmarkhool told New Age.
‘No agencies are providing assistances to newcomer Rohingyas at the three slums including Kutupalang of Ukhiya and Ledha and Baharchara of Teknaf,’ affected Rohingya Sona Banu said.
International Organisation of Migration is working at Kutupalong, Ledha and Baharchara makeshift camps for the Rohingyas already staying there.
Rohingyas continued to enter Bangladesh through the land and river borders over about past two months as Myanmar troops escalated violence against the religious minority community forcing them to leave their homeland, officials said.
Teknaf upazila nirbahi officer Mohammad Shafiul Alam said that border guards remained vigilant along the border to check illegal entrance of anyone from outside.
He, however, claimed that he was not aware of the fact that the newcomer Rohingyas staying in the open sky and suffering from lack of food and warm clothes, shelter and medicine.
Myanmar army launched the crackdown on Muslims in Rakhine state after ‘miscreants’ allegedly attacked several cops on border outposts along the border in the first week of October.
Newcomers said that the violent military crackdown continued with killing, burning down houses and business establishments of Rohingyas raping their women and girls.
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Source: New Age
