Admits BGB director general
SHAMSUDDIN ILLIUS from Teknaf
Publication Date: 26 November, 2016 00:00 00 AM
Media: The Independent
Original Link: Rohingyas dodging border vigilance
E-paper Link: Rohingyas dodging border vigilance
Media: The Independent
Original Link: Rohingyas dodging border vigilance
E-paper Link: Rohingyas dodging border vigilance
Desperate to escape torture and oppression in Myanmar, Rohingya people, in large numbers, are crossing illegally into Bangladesh despite tighter border vigilance by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). Some Rohingyas are infiltrating into Bangladesh through the remote areas of the border despite beefed up security, said BGB Director General Major General Abul Hossain during a press briefing in Cox’s Bazar yesterday. Vigilance has been heightened along the border with Myanmar, as criminals were trying to take advantage of the situation by sneaking in along with Rohingyas from the neighbouring country, the border force chief said. “The BGB has been directed to increase vigilance in such areas. Rohingyas were infiltrating into Bangladesh with the help of some middlemen,” he added.
Major General Abul Hossain was speaking at a press briefing yesterday at BGB Battalion Two in Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar district after a two-day visit to assess the situation in Bangladesh-Myanmar border areas. He arrived in Cox’s Bazar on Thursday and visited different points on the border. This was his first press briefing after taking over as the head of the BGB.
While official sources said that over 6,000 Rohingyas have taken shelter in Bangladesh since the attacks against the Muslim minority group began in Myanmar, locals told The Independent that the figure would be more than 20,000.
“Because of the recent violent incidents in Myanmar, the Rohingyas there are being repressed. That is why they are trying to infiltrate into Bangladesh for safety and shelter. If such infiltration goes on, criminals may take advantage of the situation. Strict vigilance is required at the border,” the BGB chief said.
“Some Rohingyas have already infiltrated into Bangladesh despite the strict vigilance. As their appearance is the same as that of the locals, it is hard to detect them,” he added.
Hossain also said the BGB was trying to bring the situation under control while keeping in consideration the humanitarian grounds. To control such infiltration by Rohingyas, the BGB chief sought the help of local residents, saying, “Don’t give shelter to any unknown person at your home, as we don’t know who is a friend and who is a foe.”
“We have talked to the Myanmarese authorities and hopefully the present situation would be resolved soon,” said Hossain.
“A decision has been taken to modernise the border management system. We have also held talks with the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) to bring down the death rate on the India-Bangladesh border to zero,” he said in reply to a question.
On visiting different areas on the Naf river on Thursday night, this correspondent saw the vigilance by BGB personnel. However, after talking to some middlemen, he also found that Rohingyas were indeed infiltrating into Bangladesh by dodging the BGB patrols.
Sources at the registered and unregistered Rohingya camps also confirmed on early Friday that at least 200–300 Rohingyas have entered the camps.
The BGB had sent back a total of 41 Rohingyas till the time of filing of this report yesterday.
Meanwhile, Bangladeshi people living along the border with Myanmar expressed concern over the torture meted out to Rohingyas and rape of Rohingya women there.
Though no tension was palpable in the border areas of Bangladesh and Myanmar, the people of the border areas were very much concerned over the narratives of the ongoing persecution of Rohingyas in Myanmar, which they had heard from the people who have managed to flee to Bangladesh.
Locals alleged that this year, incidents of torture have surpassed those in the past three decades. Added to these were the widespread incidents of rape by local Rakhines and Myanmar’s military.
The people who have entered Bangladesh said almost all their houses had been torched and vandalised by the Rakhine people along with the elite forces of Myanmar.
While the males of the families have gone into hiding in hills, jungles and other areas of Myanmar, the helpless women and children have been forced to remain at home. The Myanamarese military, Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP) personnel, locals and Rakhines were allegedly raping the women.
Some males have disappeared as they have been forcibly taken away, they alleged. Because of the geographical location, the relatives of many Rohingyas are in Bangladesh and many Bangladeshis have relatives across the border. That is why many locals are sheltering the persecuted Rohingyas who have managed to sneak into Bangladesh.
Abu Siddique, a 65-year-old local resident, told The Independent yesterday at a tea-stall at Unchhipang Bazar, “I have never heard of such incidents of torture earlier in my life. Many injured Rohingyas are coming to our localities for shelter. Many of us are giving them shelter as some of them are our relatives and also on humanitarian grounds.”
“Myanmarese military personnel along with local Rakhine youths are raping the women. We are very much concerned about this,” he said.
Many Rohingyas have fled from Rabillah, Gozirbill, Kholarbill, Raimmarbil, Boli Bazar, Nakpora, Shilkhali, Kumirkhali and Chaliprang areas in Myanmar and sneaked into Bangladesh. Early on Friday morning, this correspondent talked to five such Rohingyas who have crossed over to Bangladesh. All of them complained that many Rohingyas have been forcibly taken away by the military and locals have ransacked their homes. A Ramij, who recently sneaked into Bangladesh, alleged that the military murdered his son and dumped the body in front of their home.
Locals said, on condition of anonymity, that they had given shelter to the Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds. They also expressed shock over the recent oppression of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar following the military crackdown after a recent escalation of violence in Rakhine.
Major General Abul Hossain was speaking at a press briefing yesterday at BGB Battalion Two in Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar district after a two-day visit to assess the situation in Bangladesh-Myanmar border areas. He arrived in Cox’s Bazar on Thursday and visited different points on the border. This was his first press briefing after taking over as the head of the BGB.
While official sources said that over 6,000 Rohingyas have taken shelter in Bangladesh since the attacks against the Muslim minority group began in Myanmar, locals told The Independent that the figure would be more than 20,000.
“Because of the recent violent incidents in Myanmar, the Rohingyas there are being repressed. That is why they are trying to infiltrate into Bangladesh for safety and shelter. If such infiltration goes on, criminals may take advantage of the situation. Strict vigilance is required at the border,” the BGB chief said.
“Some Rohingyas have already infiltrated into Bangladesh despite the strict vigilance. As their appearance is the same as that of the locals, it is hard to detect them,” he added.
Hossain also said the BGB was trying to bring the situation under control while keeping in consideration the humanitarian grounds. To control such infiltration by Rohingyas, the BGB chief sought the help of local residents, saying, “Don’t give shelter to any unknown person at your home, as we don’t know who is a friend and who is a foe.”
“We have talked to the Myanmarese authorities and hopefully the present situation would be resolved soon,” said Hossain.
“A decision has been taken to modernise the border management system. We have also held talks with the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) to bring down the death rate on the India-Bangladesh border to zero,” he said in reply to a question.
On visiting different areas on the Naf river on Thursday night, this correspondent saw the vigilance by BGB personnel. However, after talking to some middlemen, he also found that Rohingyas were indeed infiltrating into Bangladesh by dodging the BGB patrols.
Sources at the registered and unregistered Rohingya camps also confirmed on early Friday that at least 200–300 Rohingyas have entered the camps.
The BGB had sent back a total of 41 Rohingyas till the time of filing of this report yesterday.
Meanwhile, Bangladeshi people living along the border with Myanmar expressed concern over the torture meted out to Rohingyas and rape of Rohingya women there.
Though no tension was palpable in the border areas of Bangladesh and Myanmar, the people of the border areas were very much concerned over the narratives of the ongoing persecution of Rohingyas in Myanmar, which they had heard from the people who have managed to flee to Bangladesh.
Locals alleged that this year, incidents of torture have surpassed those in the past three decades. Added to these were the widespread incidents of rape by local Rakhines and Myanmar’s military.
The people who have entered Bangladesh said almost all their houses had been torched and vandalised by the Rakhine people along with the elite forces of Myanmar.
While the males of the families have gone into hiding in hills, jungles and other areas of Myanmar, the helpless women and children have been forced to remain at home. The Myanamarese military, Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP) personnel, locals and Rakhines were allegedly raping the women.
Some males have disappeared as they have been forcibly taken away, they alleged. Because of the geographical location, the relatives of many Rohingyas are in Bangladesh and many Bangladeshis have relatives across the border. That is why many locals are sheltering the persecuted Rohingyas who have managed to sneak into Bangladesh.
Abu Siddique, a 65-year-old local resident, told The Independent yesterday at a tea-stall at Unchhipang Bazar, “I have never heard of such incidents of torture earlier in my life. Many injured Rohingyas are coming to our localities for shelter. Many of us are giving them shelter as some of them are our relatives and also on humanitarian grounds.”
“Myanmarese military personnel along with local Rakhine youths are raping the women. We are very much concerned about this,” he said.
Many Rohingyas have fled from Rabillah, Gozirbill, Kholarbill, Raimmarbil, Boli Bazar, Nakpora, Shilkhali, Kumirkhali and Chaliprang areas in Myanmar and sneaked into Bangladesh. Early on Friday morning, this correspondent talked to five such Rohingyas who have crossed over to Bangladesh. All of them complained that many Rohingyas have been forcibly taken away by the military and locals have ransacked their homes. A Ramij, who recently sneaked into Bangladesh, alleged that the military murdered his son and dumped the body in front of their home.
Locals said, on condition of anonymity, that they had given shelter to the Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds. They also expressed shock over the recent oppression of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar following the military crackdown after a recent escalation of violence in Rakhine.
