The plight of Rohingyas fleeing turmoil back home in Myanmar is being exploited by some unscrupulous people to mint money across the border in Bangladesh, according to sources.
These people are clearing the forest-covered hills at Ukhia to build rows of new huts in the vicinity of the Kutupalong Rohingya camp, which was established in the early 1990s.
These new huts are being built to house the hordes of refugees fleeing their homes in Rakhine state in western Myanmar and crossing the Naaf river to sneak into Bangladesh.
But far from being any humanitarian motive, the greedy builders are renting the huts to the hapless refugees for anything between 500 taka and 1,000 taka.
And with no options left, the fleeing Rohingyas are paying the money demanded for simple structures of bamboo, wood and corrugated sheets with polythene sheets.
After all, these shelters have come as a ‘safe haven’ to the tired and weary people, who have witnessed their homes and hearths vanishing in flames and strafing by helicopter gunships of the
Myanmar military.
Abdullah, one such refugee, disclosed that he has rented the hut carved out on the slope of a hill from a local trader, Abdul Malek.
He said though the rent has not been fixed as yet, he may have to pay 300 taka to 400 taka per month.
And it seems even public representatives are making money out of these refugees.
A member of Rajapalong Union Parishad (UP), Bakhtiaruddin, has been accused by the locals of helping raise 200 such makeshift homes.
Bakhtiaruddin, however, denied the allegations, saying most of the Rohingyas arriving from Myanmar are passing their days under the sky in an inhuman condition. “I have sought help for them from the government,” he added.
And all this is going on despite strict vigilance by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel, who have been forcing refugee boats to turn back towards Rakhine state.
The more desperate, however, make a dash to enter Bangladesh at any cost by hoodwinking the border guards.
They sneak into Bangladesh through the thick forests and alleyways down the hills or crossing the Naaf and rivulets by paying hefty amounts to crooks on both sides of the border.
The BGB has denied this. But non-governmental organisations in the area estimate that over 21,000 refugees have entered Bangladesh since violence was unleashed against them following an attack on a Myanmar border police camp in October by suspected Rohingya militants.
Some of the escapees are hosted by their relatives on this side of the border.
The fresh waves of refugees, however, worry their counterparts who had sought sanctuary in Bangladesh earlier.
“These new refugees may lead to deterioration in law and order,” cautioned the convenor of Rohingya Resistance Committee Hamidul Huq Choudhury. “The labour market too would go into their hands, throwing many local workers out of jobs.”
Police, too, are aware of the problem. Additional Superintendent of Police (Cox’s Bazar) Mohammad Afruzul Huq Tutul warned that action would be taken against those who are sheltering the illegal immigrants from across the border.
Though the situation in Rakhine state has cooled down a bit, attempted infiltration by the Rohingyas is unabated.
BGB said over 100 boats carrying refugees have been turned away so far in December itself.
On Thursday, as many as 65 Myanmarese nationals were sent back from the border at Ukhia. Six of their boats were turned back on the Naaf river.
Rohingya refugees who recently arrived in Ukhia area of Cox’s Bazar district.
