2 Rohingyas held just before boarding flight at Dhaka airport

Two Rohingya women were detained while attempting to board a UAE-bound flight from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka early today.

The duo -- Jobeda Khatun, 63, and Jamila begum, 58 -- were apprehended by Special Branch (SB) around 2:40am, Ismail Hossain, additional superintendent of police (immigration) told The Daily Star.

They were trying to board a flight of Kuwait Airlines in order to go to Saudi Arabia for performing Umrah, Sub-inspector (SI) of SB (Airport Zone) Jahid Hasan said quoting the detainees.

Jamila and Jobeda mentioned in their passports that they were hailed from Chattogram city and Narayanganj respectively, the SI said adding that the passports were issued last year.

But in reality, both are from the Refugee camp at Cox's Bazar's Kutupalong area and they revealed it during primary interrogation, the SI added.

After the duo collected boarding passes, the SB officials detained them following their suspicious activities, said the SI. During interrogation, they admitted that they were from Rohingya community.

They were handed over to officials of Airport police.