Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
Many Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar are trying to get Bangladeshi passports using fake names and addresses.
Even they are providing fake National Identity Cards (NIDs) for the purpose.
Local Human Trafficking Syndicate, Union Parishad Chairmen and Members are helping the refugees to manage Bangladeshi passport in exchange of money, say about Tk 10,000 to Tk 20,000 per head, sources said
They said the syndicate is also actively working to enlist Rohingyas in voter lists.
Cox’s Bazar Regional Passport Office recently detected more than 100 applications submitted by Rohingya
refugees with falsified documents to get Bangladeshi passports.
Not only in Cox’s Bazar, two passport offices in Chittagong have also found more than 200 such cases recently, sources said.
“Rohingyas gave fake addresses and documents to get Bangladeshi passport. We heard Rohingyas are trying to manage Bangladeshi passports for flying to the Middle East,” Abu Naim Masud, Assistant Director of Cox’s Bazar Regional Passport Office, told The New Nation on Friday.
A mobile court last week arrested five Rohingya women from the office when they appeared for obtaining Bangladeshi passports using fake name and addresses. “Passport authorities in Cox’s Bazar received a number of applications reportedly submitted by the Rohingya refugees,” said Abu Naim Masud.
When asked, he said, they remain highly alert and are properly verifying all the applications so that Rohingyas cannot not enrolled for Bangladeshi passport.
“But the task seems very difficult when Rohingyas were showing genuine documents with local addresses for passports in their names. They are paying money brokers and locals for this,” he added.
Abu Naim Masud said, applicants, who were attempting to get Bangladeshi passports illegally, were mostly Rohingya women.
About 631,322 Rohingyas took refuge in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district due to the Myanmar’s Army crackdown in Rakhine State.
“A human trafficking syndicate is taking advantage of the situation encouraging them to get Bangladeshi passports with promises of work abroad,” said Inspector Manash Barua, In-charge of Special Police Camp at a Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar.
It is alleged that more than 100,000 Rohingyas who first took shelter in Bangladesh from Myanmar had gone to different countries especially Saudi Arabia and Malaysia using the Bangladeshi passports in the last 20 years.
“Police are showing zero tolerance so that none of the Rohingyas can obtain Bangladeshi passport by adopting illegal means. Intelligence agencies remained vigilant on the activities of Rohingyas refugees who took shelter in camps,” AKM Iqbal Hossain, Superintendent of Police, Cox’s Bazar District, told The New Nation.
Many Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar are trying to get Bangladeshi passports using fake names and addresses.
Even they are providing fake National Identity Cards (NIDs) for the purpose.
Local Human Trafficking Syndicate, Union Parishad Chairmen and Members are helping the refugees to manage Bangladeshi passport in exchange of money, say about Tk 10,000 to Tk 20,000 per head, sources said
They said the syndicate is also actively working to enlist Rohingyas in voter lists.
Cox’s Bazar Regional Passport Office recently detected more than 100 applications submitted by Rohingya
refugees with falsified documents to get Bangladeshi passports.
Not only in Cox’s Bazar, two passport offices in Chittagong have also found more than 200 such cases recently, sources said.
“Rohingyas gave fake addresses and documents to get Bangladeshi passport. We heard Rohingyas are trying to manage Bangladeshi passports for flying to the Middle East,” Abu Naim Masud, Assistant Director of Cox’s Bazar Regional Passport Office, told The New Nation on Friday.
A mobile court last week arrested five Rohingya women from the office when they appeared for obtaining Bangladeshi passports using fake name and addresses. “Passport authorities in Cox’s Bazar received a number of applications reportedly submitted by the Rohingya refugees,” said Abu Naim Masud.
When asked, he said, they remain highly alert and are properly verifying all the applications so that Rohingyas cannot not enrolled for Bangladeshi passport.
“But the task seems very difficult when Rohingyas were showing genuine documents with local addresses for passports in their names. They are paying money brokers and locals for this,” he added.
Abu Naim Masud said, applicants, who were attempting to get Bangladeshi passports illegally, were mostly Rohingya women.
About 631,322 Rohingyas took refuge in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district due to the Myanmar’s Army crackdown in Rakhine State.
“A human trafficking syndicate is taking advantage of the situation encouraging them to get Bangladeshi passports with promises of work abroad,” said Inspector Manash Barua, In-charge of Special Police Camp at a Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar.
It is alleged that more than 100,000 Rohingyas who first took shelter in Bangladesh from Myanmar had gone to different countries especially Saudi Arabia and Malaysia using the Bangladeshi passports in the last 20 years.
“Police are showing zero tolerance so that none of the Rohingyas can obtain Bangladeshi passport by adopting illegal means. Intelligence agencies remained vigilant on the activities of Rohingyas refugees who took shelter in camps,” AKM Iqbal Hossain, Superintendent of Police, Cox’s Bazar District, told The New Nation.
