Government to set up barbed wire fences around 11 Rohingya camps

The government is going to surround the 11 Rohingya camps with barbed-wire fences to prevent the refugees from getting embroiled in violence and criminal activities with Bangladeshi citizens, said an official of the finance ministry. The official said the Refugees Repatriation and Rehabilitation Commission of the relief ministry asked for a Tk3.19 crore fund to build strong barbed-wire fences around the 11 Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar Sadar, Ukhia, Teknaf, and Ramu. Relief ministry's proposal to set up the fences has already been submitted to Finance Minister AMA Muhith for approval, the official added. Bangladesh Government has been worried about criminal activities of the Rohingyas since the incident on October 28 when two Rohingyas assaulted a Bangladeshi identified as 28-year-old Abdul Jabbar, who later passed away while undergoing treatment. Police detained two Rohingya refugees Ziabul Haque, 22, and his aunt Bhaola Khatun, 25, over the attack. The camps to be surrounded by the security fence are the old makeshift refugee camps including Kutupalong Expansion, Kutupalong RC, Leda MS, Nayapara RC, Shamlapur, new spontaneous settlements including Hakimpara, Thangkhali, Unchiprang Jamtoli, Moynarghona and Chakmarkul. According to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at least 605,000 Rohingyas have entered Bangladesh fleeing the violence which erupted in Myanmar on August 25.