The ‘Night Government’ Expands Its Violent Reach in Rohingya Camps

The New York Times
By Verena Hölzl
Reporting from Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
March 30, 2024,

Gunfights, kidnappings and homicides have become widespread in the refugee settlements in Bangladesh, as armed groups and criminal gangs have become more brazen.

A Rohingya refugee camp, along the Naf River, near Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, in November.Credit...Munir Uz Zaman/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

 

They could not worship freely. The authorities denied their very existence and razed evidence of their historical communities. Then came a campaign of ethnic cleansing that forced them to flee to a foreign country where they crowded into bamboo-and-tarp shelters. There they have waited years for a better life.

RAB Thwarts ARSA Plot and Uncovers Looming Crisis in Rohingya Camps

bnn
Muhammad Jawad
14 Feb 2024 

RAB Thwarts ARSA Plot and Uncovers Looming Crisis in Rohingya Camps

In the heart of Ukhiya camp No. 20, a clandestine operation unfolded on February 14, 2024. The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) of the Bangladesh police apprehended three high-ranking members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). Among them was Abul Hashim, the second-in-command, and a bodyguard of ARSA chief Ataullah Jununi. Foreign-made firearms and cartridges were discovered in the camp, hinting at a sinister plot.

Unsafe conditions at Rohingya camps cannot be the norm

Dhaka Tribune
Tribune Editorial
Publish : 22 Dec 2023

The news of two Rohingya men being killed in two separate camps in Cox's Bazar tells us that when it comes to ensuring safety at these camps, we still have much more work to do. We continue to see repeated incidents of violence in the Rohingya camps, and suffice to say, more needs to be done to ensure that these are kept to a minimum.

Arrested Arsa leader reveals information about 6 torture cells in Rohingya camps

Dhaka Tribune
Abdul Aziz
Publish : 27 Oct 2023

RAB arrests two including top Arsa commander from Ukhiya on Thursday, October 26, 2023. Photo: Dhaka Tribune

Myanmar's terrorist organization Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (Arsa) has six torture cells in the Rohingya camps.

Sitting in Myanmar, these torture cells are controlled by the top leader of the organization, Ataullah Abu Ammar Jununi.

One detained after gunfight between APBn, robbers in Rohingya camp

Dhaka Tribune
Tribune Desk
Publish : 17 Sep 2023, 

The image shows the detainee along with two APBn police members pose for a photo. Photo: Bangla Tribune
 

A Rohingya teen was arrested in connection with a gunfight between some suspected robbers and the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) at Nayapara Rohingya camp in Teknaf upazila of Cox's Bazar.

The detainee is Rafiq alias Abbua, 18.

Fire at Teknaf Rohingya camp

Prothom Alo English Desk
Published: 25 Apr 2023,

A fire broke out at Rohingya camp no. 21 in Cox's Bazar’s Teknaf upazila on Monday nightUNB

A fire broke out at Rohingya camp no. 21 in Cox's Bazar’s Teknaf upazila on Monday night, reports UNB.

The fire broke out at Chakmarkhul-21 camp of Palongkhali union of Teknaf around 9:00 pm, police said.

US Asst Secretary Noyes in Bangladesh to visit Rohingya camps

Prothum Alo------    

BSS
Published: 03 Dec 2022

US Asst Secretary Noyes in Bangladesh to visit Rohingya campsBSS

United States (US) Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Julieta Valls Noyes is on a five-day official tour of Bangladesh to visit Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar and Bhashanchar.

"In Bangladesh, Assistant Secretary Noyes will meet with government officials to express our gratitude for their generosity in hosting Rohingya and other refugees fleeing the worsening humanitarian crisis in Burma," according to a media note issued by US State Department on Friday.

Bangladesh cracks down on Rohingya camps after killings

GULF TIMES
AFP/Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
October 30 2022

Detained Rohingya refugees next to security personal after a crackdown at the Rohingya refugee camp in Ukhia, Bangladesh.

 

Elite Bangladeshi police have launched a crackdown against suspected criminals and insurgents after a rise in attacks on Rohingya community leaders in refugee camps, officers said yesterday.

The Armed Police Battalion, tasked with security in 34 refugees camps which are home to nearly 1mn Rohingya refugees, said they have arrested at least 56 Rohingya since Friday night.

Joint forces operation to stop criminal activities in Rohingya camps soon

dailyobserver

Published : Monday, 29 August, 2022
Staff Correspondent

 
The government has decided to conduct joint operation comprising the forces of Army, Police and other law enforcement agencies to stop criminal activities in the Rohingya camps of Cox's Bazar.

Same time, forces of Army would be deployed in the Rohingya camps along with other law enforcement agencies if necessary to stop drugs smuggling, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said while briefing media after a meeting held in his ministry conference room at Secretariat on Sunday.

The regular meeting of the "National Committee on Coordination and Management of Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals and Law and Order" was held at the ministry with the Minister in the chair.

 

Joint forces operation on Rohingya camps soon

dailyobserver 

Published : Tuesday, 30 August, 2022 

 

In a bid to wipe out growing terror and criminal activities in Rohingya camps, the government has decided to conduct joint operation by combining Army, Police and other law enforcement agencies. In addition, army and relevant law enforcers will be deployed in the camps to deter drug smuggling.

However, on one hand we welcome the planned joint forces operation while on the other the operation has been long overdue.

Army Would Be Deployed In Rohingya Camps If Needed: B'desh Home Minister

MENAFN 

(MENAFN- IANS) By Sumi Khan

Date 8/29/2022 

Dhaka, Aug 29 (IANS) Stating that the efforts of the Bangladesh government were underway to repatriate the Rohingya refugees, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said Army troops would be deployed in Rohingya refugee camps if necessary to prevent crimes and check smuggling of drugs into the country.

Incidents of crimes such as murder, robbery, rape, drug smuggling and several other criminal activities have increased nearly seven times in the last five years in the Cox's Bazar area, officials said.

Rohingya camp leader hacked dead in Cox’s Bazar

daily observor
ublished : Friday, 10 June, 2022
Observer Online Report

A Rohingya leader was allegedly hacked to death at Balukhali refugee camp in Ukhiya upazila of Cox's Bazar district on Friday over establishing dominance in the camp.

The victim was Md Azimuddin, 48, a leader of block L/16 of camp-18 in Balukhali.

Alleged ARSA leader Hashim found dead at Rohingya camp

bdnews24.com
Rangamati Correspondent,
Published: 03 Nov 2021

Mohammad Hashim, an alleged Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) leader, has been found dead at the Whykong Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf.

The matter was confirmed to the media by SI Mahbubur Rahman of the Whykong Police Outpost at 10:30 pm on Tuesday.

Police did not issue a clear statement on the cause of death.

Hafizur Rahman Chowhdury, chief of Teknaf police, said they are making preparations to recover the body.

Hashim is known in the camp as the ARSA ‘second-in-command’.

Six-murder in Rohingya camp: 4 more arrested in Ukhiya

Dhaka Tribune

Abdul Aziz, Cox’s Bazar
October 26th, 2021

Solar lamps are lit in the evening at the Balukhali Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar on November 16, 2018 Reuters

A total of 14 people have been arrested so far

Police have arrested four more suspects over the attack on a madrasa inside a Rohingya camp that left six people dead in Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya.

Members of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) and Ukhiya police arrested Shafiullah, a “head majhi” (community cluster leader) of camp 10, during a joint operation on Monday, said Ukhiya Police Inspector Gazi Salauddin.

As drugs and arms pour in, Rohingya camps see a rise in crimes

bdnews24.com
Golam Mortuja and Sankar Barua Rumi,
Published: 13 Oct 2021

As the sun sets on Bangladesh's south coast, a sense of foreboding fills the air as the dark underbelly of the Rohingya refugee settlements gradually comes to the fore.

 

 

Men with arms and weapons, that had hitherto been stowed away, begin to emerge from the shadows, while drugs are used in plain view.

The inhabitants are accustomed to such scenes and even a murder would do little to unsettle them.

The killing of Mohammad Mohib Ullah, a prominent community leader who campaigned for the Rohingya's safe repatriation, however, brought the issue of security and crimes in the camps into sharp focus both at home and abroad.

A group of unidentified gunmen killed him at Lombashiya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar's Ukhiya on Sept 28.

Vaccination at Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camps begins tomorrow

The Daily Star
Star Digital Report
Mon Aug 9, 2021 

Rohingya refugee children at Kutupalong refugee camp near Cox’s Bazar. File photo: Reuters

Covid-19 vaccination campaign for Rohingyas in the refugee camps of Cox's Bazar will begin tomorrow, reports our local correspondent quoting the district's civil surgeon.

Md Mahbubur Rahman, Cox's Bazar district civil surgeon, told The Daily Star that the vaccination campaign will begin 11am tomorrow at the Kutupalong Rohingya camp in Ukhia, Cox's Bazar. Syed Rezwan Hayat, the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), will accompany him.

India: Fire rips through Rohingya camp, leaving hundreds homeless

Aljazeera
By Zafar Aafaq
13 Jun 2021

Hundreds of Rohingya rendered homeless after a massive fire razes Rohingya camp in the Madanpur Khadar area of Delhi.

Firefighters douse the flames as fire rips through a Rohingya camp, reducing it to ashes in New Delhi [Meer Faisal/Al Jazeera]

New Delhi, India – A massive fire has destroyed a Rohingya refugee camp in the Indian capital, New Delhi, leaving hundreds of people homeless.

The blaze broke out at about 11:30pm on Saturday and quickly spread through the camp, reducing 55 ramshackle shelters to ashes in the Madanpur Khadar area in the capital city’s south. No deaths or serious injuries have been reported in the fire – the second time the camp has been reduced to ashes since 2018.

Fire victims at Rohingya camp get relief materials

theindependent

Independent Online Desk
13 June, 2021

Faith in Action, a non-governmental organization, in collaboration with the international organization KNH Germany, distributed the relief materials among the fire victims at Rohingya camp-9 under Ukhiya of Cox’s Bazar on Friday.

A total of 560 Rohingya, persecuted Myanmar citizen, fire victims of 125 families got relief materials which included three lungis, 12 T-shirts, 8 pairs of sandals, two blouses, one scarf, two trousers, two pillows, two bedsheets, and two bags, according to a press release.

Fire breaks out at Balukhali Rohingya camp again

Dhaka Tribune

Abdul Aziz, Cox’s Bazar
April 12th,2021

Representational photo Bigstock

The fire was completely doused and no casualties were reported

A fire broke out at a Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar’s Ukhiya upazila again.

The incident occurred at the Balukhali refugee camp no 9 at around 2:30pm on Monday.

A madarasa facility was gutted in the fire. No casualties or major damage was reported in the fire.

Rohingya Camp Fire Eyewitness Account: 11 Deaths, 300 Missing

Doctors

Worldwide

April 8, 2021

On the 21st March, our Doctors Worldwide team was in the Camp 9 Clinic in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, visiting IOM colleagues to discuss our emergency care project. Less than 24 hours later, on the 22nd March, the entire structure and surrounding area had been destroyed by a devastating fire.

Below, Georgia Venner (DWW Project Manager) reflects on her experience witnessing the aftermath of the fire, and considers the impact of the event for the Rohingya communities:

The Rohingya Camp Fire: “just call if you start sending anyone, we are ready.”