Rohingya refugees walk on the muddy path after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Teknaf, Bangladesh. File Photo: Reuters
Around 500 Rohingya Muslims fled to Bangladesh on Saturday escaping escalating violence in Myanmar’s Rakhaine state.
They entered Bangladesh by crossing through various points along the Naf river, according to local people.
Rohingyas arrived in the dead of night, coming from villages in Myanmar’s Mangdu Township, which lies just across the four-kilometer-wide Naf River.
Around 8,000 Rohingyas have entered through Ukhia and Teknaf border in the last two weeks.
The refugees traveled by boat from villages like Sudapara, Faizipara, Sikdarpara, and Nurullapara, arriving at border points such as Jadimora, Damdamia, and Shahpari Dwip.
In addition, at least 40,000 Rohingyas are now waiting to enter Bangladesh from Manipara, Sikdarpara and Airpara areas of Mangdu in Myanmar, sources said.
Adnan Chowdhury, the Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), stated that authorities have stepped up patrols along the river and border in an effort to curb further influxes. While some Rohingyas are being turned back to Myanmar mid-crossing, others have already entered refugee camps.
This latest wave of refugees comes six years after a mass exodus began in August 2017, when the Myanmar military’s campaign of violence and genocide forced thousands of Rohingyas to flee. By early 2018, over 750,000 Rohingyas had taken refuge in Cox’s Bazar, adding to the 400,000 who were already living in camps there.
