Staff Reporter :
The forcibly expelled Rohingya Muslims gave demanded justice for the killings, rapes and looting by Myanmar Army and dignified repatriation with citizenship under the assistance of United Nations.
Commemorating the nightmarish persecutions by Myanmar army, they called upon the international bodies especially the United Nations to create pressure on the Buddhist country Myanmar for their sustainable return.
On the occasion of marking their exodus day, the Rohingya leaders and thousands of their fellowmen on Thursday held separate human chains and rallies in at least 20 camps in Kutupalang, Balukhali, Palangkhali and Thaigkhali and demanded justice for the killings, rapes and lootings by the Myanmar army in August 2017.
Thanking Bangladesh for sheltering them, the Rohingyas leaders said that they were grateful to the host country for appearing as saviour.
In the rallies, the Rohingyas chanted slogans ‘We Want Justice,’ under the titled of ‘Go Back Home’.
Their banners also read ‘We want our home, we want equal rights. We are Arakanese. We are Rohingya.”
With the appeal of saving them, they held banners which read, “Dear people of the world — Dear United Nations — Stop genocide, save our lives, save our child, save our rights, please save us, save humanity.”
“We don’t want the repatriation of 100/200 Rohingyas. Send the people of a whole village. If the total villages are sent at a time, it will expel the fear of our security. Otherwise, we will not go,” Rohingya leader Jubair said.
They said that they did not want to live in the shanties in an inhuman condition and they wanted to return to their homeland with dignity as they are equal rights to live like others.
Expressing concerns over the deterioration of the law and order situation inside the camps, they said that in the last five years they have witnessed the deterioration of situations due to various killing incidents, drug dealings and other anti-social activities.
They called upon the international community to create pressure on Myanmar so that their repatriation can be expedited.
The Rohingya leaders said though they were getting all sorts of humanitarian assistance from local and international bodies but they did not want to lead an uncertain life for long as stateless citizens.
In 2019, the Rohingyas also held the biggest rally led by their leader Masater Muhibullah in the camps with the demands for citizenship, justice for mass killing, sustainable and dignified repatriation.
Rohingya leader Muhibullah played important role in expediting the repatriation but he was killed by unknown gunman in September last year.
He launched the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH) in Cox’s Bazar and this organisation was working for the Rohingya repatriation.
On August 25, 2017, the influx of Rohingyas began to escape the unspeakable persecution unleashed by the Myanmar Army.
The Rohingya leaders claimed that more than 10,000 Rohingyas were killed, one hundred women were raped, 34,000 children were orphaned by the Myanmar army.
Besides, the army displaced over eight lakh Rohingyas from Rakhine State, 2,500 Rohingya Muslims were incarcerated and set fire on around ten thousand mosques and 1200 Madrashas and Maktabs, they said.
