Visitor arrests in Nayapara refugee camp

Teknaf, Bangladesh: Two visitors who visited their relatives in the camp were arrested by the camp police of Nayapara official recognize refugee camp on February 18, said a relative of the victims.

“They were arrested when went out from the camp and on the road of Teknaf-Cox’s Bazar high way near the camp at about 6:00 pm when they went out from the camp.”

The arrested visitors were identified as Mohamed Rafique (18) and Jamil Ahamed (20) hailed from Maungdaw Township, Arakan State.

They came to Bangladesh from Burma to see their relatives at the Nayapara camp after long time without border pass.

Nurul Islam, the camp police inspector informed to the acting Camp-in-Charge about the visitors.

Their relatives of the visitors requested to the police inspector Nurul Islam and the acting Camp-in-Charge, Jalal Uddin of Kutupalong official camp for their release, but the inspector and camp-in-charge did not take any interest. However, the camp-in-charge was bribed Taka 20,000 for their release, said a source who refused his name.

“But, the police inspector also took Taka 7,500 from the visitors and the visitors were detained in the police camp for one night and one day. They were also beaten severely.”

On February 19, at about 11: 00 pm, they were handed over to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) of Dum Dum Meah check-post and they were pushed back to Burma at night.

Nevertheless, the camp authorities took huge money from them and gave statement in local newspaper that they are the human traffickers, according to sources.

The inspector Nurul Islam has been harassing the official refugees such as arbitrary arrest, seizing mobiles and computers from the refugees and also restricted the movement of the refugees since he was appointed at the refugee camp.