750 Dhaka-bound Rohingyas detained in Cox’s Bazar, sent back to transit camp
Police on Wednesday detained around 750 Rohingyas from Cox's Bazar while trying to flee to Dhaka from refugee camps illegally.
They were arrested from aboard 19 buses as they were on their way to Dhaka and sent all of them back to Ukhiya transit refugee camp, said Cox's Bazar Sadar police station's Officer-in-charge (OC) Rafiqul Islam.
"Detained Rohingyas claimed that they wanted to join the second phase of Bishwa Ijtema to be held in Dhaka's Gazipur area. We sent them back to Ukhiya transit camp after communicating with the Refugee Relief and Repatriation commissioner in Cox's Bazar," he added.
They are residents of different refugee camps in Teknaf and Ukhiya in Cox's Bazar, he added.
Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner in Cox's Bazar, Mizanur Rahman said, "We will investigate how they fled from refugee camps despite law enforcers being stationed there. Legal action will be taken against the Rohingyas while keeping them in the transit camp."
More than 3,500 desperate Rohingya attempted deadly sea crossings in 39 boats in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal in 2022, according to the latest data from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.