'No justice in either country': Rohingya refugees face looting on both sides of the border
Many new Rohingya refugees have allegedly become victims of robbery and looting on both sides of the border in Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Some of them alleged that their shops in Maungdaw were looted by the Arakan Army (AA) after they started leaving the Myanmar township gradually after August 5, when violence in the area escalated.
On August 5 alone, nearly 200 people were reportedly killed by drone strikes and shelling on civilians fleeing fighting in Maungdaw town, according to Rohingya witnesses.
On the way to Bangladesh, many of those who brought their gold ornaments and cash with them were robbed by Bangladeshi brokers, who gave them passage to Bangladesh on boats across the Naf River, which divides the two countries.
"Arakan Army looted my shop 'Hello Cosmetic Store' on August 20, five days before which I made it to Bangladesh to save my life and and my family's lives. We paid the Bangladeshi brokers Tk 20,000 for each of the three people," said Mosharraf Hossain, a resident of Maungdaw.
"I came to know about the development from one of my friends in Rakhine over the phone. The AA looted goods from my shop worth around Tk 10 lakh," he added.
As many as 2,000 shops owned by members of the Rohingya community have been looted by the AA between August 5 and August 20 in Maungdaw township, he added.
"I lost all my savings. Now I have nothing left and am passing a distressed life at Leda camp in Teknaf with my relatives," said Mosharraf.
A few hundred refugees have been crossing the border into Bangladesh daily through the Naf river over the past few days, facing attacks by both the Myanmar military and Arakan Army rebels, who have been locked in fierce conflict in the Rakhine state since November of last year.
The newly arrived Rohingya refugees have alleged indiscriminate murder, rape and arson attacks by both sides in recent days.
The number of new arrivals after August 5 is not less than 30,000, according to Rohingya leaders, while on September 3, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain told reporters that around 8,000 Rohingya refugees have entered Bangladesh recently.
Around 1.2 million Rohingya refugees, most of whom fled a 2017 Myanmar military crackdown that has been dubbed as an ethnic cleansing by the UN, are living in the sprawling camps of Cox's Bazar.
The most recent arrivals are staying with the relatives at the camp sharing their limited daily rations provided by the UN agencies.
"We could not protect our wealth in Myanmar and we can't do it in Bangladesh either. We don't get any justice for being murdered, raped or tortured by Myanmar junta troops and Arakan Army. Now we are not getting justice for being looted or robbed in both countries," Mosharraf said.
He also described a story of a wealthy businessman of Maungdaw township and how he became penniless within a few days.
"The gold businessman Anwar Sadik had several gold shops named 'Three Diamonds' in Maungdaw. Anwar left Myanmar and came to Bangladesh crossing the Naf river with huge quantities of gold ornaments from his shops while the looting was taking place at Maungdaw by the Arakan Army," Mosharraf said.
Anwar was caught by the Bangladesh Border Guard on August 12 with 29 kilograms of gold ornaments and is now in Cox's Bazar jail.
"It's true that Anwar entered Bangladesh illegally with the gold, but what could he have done to save his wealth?" Mosharraf questioned.
Another victim, 26-year-old Shabullah of Nalbonyapara in Maungdaw, said "The AA looted my three wheelers on July 18. After I left the country on August 15, Bangladeshi brokers robbed my last cash which was around Tk 2 lakh, even after taking Tk 20,000 for each of my three family members for crossing the Naf River by boat."
Shabullah, having been looted on both sides of the border, is now living with his relatives at Kutupalang camp.
He said the Bangladeshi brokers search everything they bring with them and take whatever they think is valuable, even their smartphones.
A young Rohingya refugee hailing from the village of Myo U Ward, who wishes to remain unnamed, said his father was an expatriate and had bought his mother 24-karat gold ornaments weighing around 336 grams.
The Bangladeshi brokers looted all the gold ornaments from them when they entered Bangladesh.
Many Rohingya refugees have alleged that they were held hostage for several days in the houses of the brokers to release money from their relatives in the camps.
They further alleged that even though the Bangladeshi brokers, who are comprised of the local public representatives, are looting the Rohingya refugees, the law enforcers fail to take action against them, making the Rohingya refugees more vulnerable.
In this regard, Md Adnan Chowdhury, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Teknaf said, "I am not aware of looting incidents taking place. But law enforcement is trying to identify the brokers who are bringing the Rohinya refugees to Bangladesh illegally so that steps can be taken against them."
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