1,000 acres more for refugees

Struggling to cope with the massive influx of Rohingyas, the government has allocated 1,000 acres more at Kutupalong in Ukhia of Cox's Bazar and said it will have all refugees from Myanmar in one area expanded to 3,000 acres until now.

"The new land will be allocated to bring all Rohingyas under one camp. If necessary, we will allocate more land," said Relief and Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya at a press conference at the ministry yesterday.

The Rohingyas who entered Bangladesh since 1978 and have been staying in temporary camps will also be brought to the camp, he added.

The government last month allocated 2,000 acres of land in Cox's Bazar to give shelter to nearly 4 lakh Rohingyas who fled a military operation beginning on August 25 in Rakhine State of Myanmar.

But as more and more Rohingyas kept coming in, the space for their accommodation has become exhausted. 

More than 75,000 sheds have so far been constructed in the camp, the minister said, adding that the government would construct 1,50,000 sheds in total to accommodate Rohingya refugees. The entire camp will be divided into 20 blocks with each block having an administrative unit to facilitate all kinds of services.

"The construction of a nine-km long electricity line has been underway. Every electricity pole will have a lamp," Maya said.

In the recent wave of violence targeting the ethnic Rohingya community in Rakhine State, more than 5 lakh refugees have entered Bangladesh until Wednesday, he said.

Maya also warned against doing politics over the Rohingya issue. He expressed the hope that Myanmar would take back its citizens soon.

FACILITIES ADDED IN THE CAMP

So far, 61,000 Rohingya people have been registered under the biometric process and it will take two to two and a half months to complete the whole process, Maya said.

Two lakh Rohingya people have been vaccinated and 61,000 given Vitamin A.

The government has decided to construct 17,500 latrines adding to the 3,500 latrines already built in the camp, the minister said.

For access to safe drinking water, 1,528 tube wells have been installed. A police station and a fire service station will also be set up within the camp, Maya added.

ROHINGYAS POURING IN

Despite rain or blistering sun over their heads, high tide or low tide, Rohingyas take a chance to cross the border into Bangladesh. A total of 1,500 Rohingyas came through Shah Parir Dwip yesterday, said Nur Hossain, chairman of Sabrang Union.

Law enforcers checked every single person and gave necessary treatment and relief to the Rohingyas. They were later sent to Balukhali camp where tens of thousands of Rohingyas had been sheltered in makeshift tents.

These people endured a terrible time while escaping the relentless persecution back home. Scores of them are suffering from diarrhoea due to a lack of safe drinking water, toilets and hygiene facilities. The scorching heat and almost daily torrential rains throughout their journey caused waterborne diseases and skin infections.

As many as 15,080 people have been treated for diarrhoea while 5,104 for dysentery, 23,807 for respiratory tract infection, 5,590 for injuries, 35 for rubella, 238 for jaundice and 8,834 for skin diseases from September 7 to October 4, according to the control room set up by Cox's Bazar Civil Surgeon.

NO PLACE FOR TERRORISM AND MILITANCY

Meanwhile, Director General of the Rapid Action Battalion Benazir Ahmed yesterday said terrorism and militancy would not be tolerated on the soil of Bangladesh if militants entered the country as refugees.

He made the comment while talking to reporters during the inauguration of a Rohingya camp in Teknaf Sadar.

The law enforcers are strictly monitoring whether operatives of Myanmar-based militant group Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) are entering Bangladesh, Benazir said, adding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had given a clear order in this regard.

Meanwhile, a team of Rab-7 Cox's Bazar camp arrested a suspected militant near Palangkhali Rohingya camp in Ukhia upazila of Cox's Bazar. On information, the Rab team raided a computer servicing shop in Palangkhali Station Bazar around 1:00pm, and arrested its owner Kamal Hossain, having found videos with jihadi contents in his computer.

Kamal was promoting jihadi activities under the guise of computer servicing, said Maj Ruhul Amin, company commander of Rab-7, adding that the arrestee accepted the allegations against him to be true during primary interrogation.

Kamal was handed over to Ukhiya police. A case was filed against him under the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Rab official added.

Our Cox's Bazar Correspondent contributed to the report.