Narinjara news

Rohingya refugees demand Bangladesh citizenship
(Source: the Independent, Dhaka, 13 Jul. 02)

Cox’s Bazaar, July 12:  About 300 members of Rohingya Refugee Camp at Noyapara in Teknaf upazila refused to receive relief materials on July 5.

Sources said the refusal to receive the relief materials was a part of demonstration in support of their demand for citizenship of Bangladesh. They held more than one rally and meeting inside the camp.

The speakers at the rallies expressed their unwillingness to return to (their) homes at Rohingya.  They instead demanded the citizenship of Bangladesh.  Informed sources said a group of Rohingya terrorists at the instigation of a vested interest are reported to have been engaged in an all-out attempt to deteriorate law and order inside the camp to achieve their end.

The refugees willing to return to their land expressed their unwillingness to return in fear of terrorism from the terrorists.

On July 3, a clash took place between the Rohingya terrorists and the police on duty in the camp.  Additional police forces were deployed at the camp and they were alerted to maintain law and order at any cost.

Police filed a case with Teknaf Thana against 19 Rohingyas who were involved in the 3^rd June (?)* incident.  In the circumstances, 11,000 innocent refugees have been passing days in panic and in utter poverty without relief materials.

The district administration informed the higher authority in Dhaka of the situation in the refugee camp.  Informed sources said the government had a plan to start repatriating the refugees by the end of the current month after reaching an agreement with the Myanmar government through a fruitful discussion.  #

*  Please read 3^rd July - Editor, Narinjara; an inadvertent mistake by the Independent possibly