Staff Reporter :
With the passage of the time, frequent terror acts, arms fighting, drugs dealings and human trafficking in the Rohingya camps are posing serious security threats to the camp people and the local civilians.
Police and other sources said that different Rohingya groups are active inside the camps and these groups often locked in arms fighting over establishing supremacy inside the camps to carry out their illegal activities including drug dealings.
According to police, at least 115 Rohingyas including prominent Rohingya leader Mohib Ullah were killed reportedly since the exodus of the Rohingyas who fled to Bangladesh after being persecuted by the Myanmar Army.
Some 2,438 cases were filed with the local police stations in Cox’s Bazar over the violence in Rohingya camps from August 25, 2017 to August 20, 2022.
Of the cases, 115 are murder cases, 1,644 drug cases, 185 arms cases, 88 rape cases, and 39 abduction cases.
Both Bangladesh and International community have expressed deep concerns over the escalating criminal activities in the camps.
Police have found that such criminal offences are occurring because around 34 Rohingya camps are located alongside the impassable and hilly area of the Bangladesh -Myanmar border.
Due to this accessibility, it has become difficult for the law enforcers to contain the criminal offences strictly and taking this opportunity of the lack of surveillance, the different terror groups have made the camps a hub of criminal activities.
Sensing the gravity of the terror acts and drug dealings, the government is considering the deployment of army in the camps, if necessary, to contain terror acts and drug trafficking.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal in the Secretariat on Sunday said that Bangladesh Army could be deployed in Rohingya camps if necessary.
“The police, RAB, BGB, Ansar and APBn are working in the camps to contain terror acts. If necessary, Army will be deployed. They will also carry out drives both inside and outside the camps if situation demands,” he added.
He also mentioned that steps would be taken to track the mobile phones of the Rohingyas to prevent any imminent criminal activities following prior information.
“The mobile phones of the Rohingyas would be tracked in a bid to resist the illegal activities in the camps,” he added.
He also held the Myanmar military junta responsible for the rise of illegal drugs in the country for Myanmar’s patronisation of drugs including Yaba pills smuggled through the borders.
