The Guardian
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Kaamil Ahmed
Fri 1 Jan 2021
Bangladesh authorities under pressure from rights activists including Bianca Jagger over detention of Abul Karam
Abul Kalam, 35, has been held since Monday morning when he was reportedly beaten before being taken to police barracks near the Kutupalong refugee camp, where he has lived since leaving Myanmar as a child refugee in the early 1990s.
Refugee Camp in Bangladesh pic.twitter.com/FYUbWtb3yL
— Abul kalam Street photography (@kalamabul408) December 10, 2020
Bangladesh moved up to 1,000 people on Monday in its second batch of relocations from the Cox’s Bazar-based settlements, which make up the world’s largest refugee camp, to the isolated island in the Bay of Bengal.
The relocations have been criticised because Bangladesh has not permitted an independent assessment of the island’s safety, despite concerns about its vulnerability to natural disasters.
Two other Rohingya refugees said they had avoided taking pictures of the relocation because of threats and concerns for their safety.
The UN’s refugee chief, Filippo Grandi, also raised concerns in December about whether the refugees were being relocated voluntarily, as Bangladesh claimed, after accusations of coercion.
One of Abul Kalam’s award-winning images. Photograph: Courtesy Rohingya Photography CompetitionA UNHCR spokesperson said: “UNHCR has been engaged with the authorities since the arrest of Abul Kalam on 28 December and is following the situation closely to ensure he receives a fair hearing of any charge against him. UNHCR has assigned one of its partner lawyers to represent him during the investigation and any subsequent legal proceedings.”
Earlier this month Abul Kalam won two awards for his work in the Rohingya Photography Competition.
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