Kaladan News

Date: May 27, 2004

BDR Arrested Eight New Arrival Rohingya

Naikongchari, May 27: Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) arrested eight new arrivals Rohingya from Bangladesh-Burma border, accusing them illegal refugees, according to our correspondent.

On 19^th May 2004, at night, a group of Rohingya had crossed the Burma-Bangladesh border and took shelter in the Bangladesh side. On information about the group, through their intelligence, a team of BDR of Taung Bru Camp went to nearby villages and was combing an operation and caught the eight new arrival Burmese Rohingyas, while some of their family members could manage to escape from the spot, according to Mr. Noor Mohamed who is living beside the BDR camp.

The said Rohingyas crossed the Burma-Bangladesh border near pillar No.33 of Ghondom under Taung Bru Union.

The arrestees are Mohammed Sayed Allam, 34, Mohammed Shiffique, 16, Shamshul Allam, 23, Anwar, 24, Fayazul Hoque, 27, Mohammed Issuque, 37, Azizul Hoque, 25, and Farid, 19. Of them Farid claimed himself that he was not a new arrival and he is from the official refugee camp of Kutupalong, he further added.

However, BDR handed over all these refugees to the Naikongchari Police Station where police sent them to Bandraban prison under a charge of 3(3) passport act of Bangladesh penal code.

A villager from Taung Bru of Bangladesh said, “ Sporadically, some Rohingyas crossed the Burma-Bangladesh Border and take shelter across the border area."

When asked a villager of Taung Bru Left inside Arakan said, “ There is no earning sources but daily expenses are higher day by day and we have to pay frequently taxes to the Nasaka(Burmese Border Security Force). They also seized our farmlands. These make the people to compel to flee the homeland.”

Recently, some reporters from Bangladesh border area described in their local newspapers that the Rohingyas of Arakan State have been persecuted by the SPDC’s across the Arakan State and therefore, they requested the concerned authorities to be alerted to halt another Rohingya exodus.

It may be mentioned that there are many Burmese nationals are passing their lives in Bangladesh prisons after ending of their jail terms for many years. ##

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