By: Camp Correspondent
Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar — June 5, 2025 |
Amid intensifying armed conflict in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, at least 22 Rohingya refugees crossed into Bangladesh via the Teknaf border in recent hours. Of them, 14 have been detained by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), while the rest are reportedly on the run.
According to Lt. Colonel Md Ashiqur Rahman, commander of the BGB Teknaf-2 Battalion, the detained individuals were found near Abu Siddique Market in the Teknaf Bus Station area.
“Fourteen Rohingyas have been taken into custody. The repatriation process is underway,” he told The Business Standard.
From Shore to Shelterless: A Perilous Journey
Eyewitnesses from the group, Mohammad Amin and Mustafa Kamal, confirmed that all 22 individuals had arrived by boat from Myanmar, landing at Maheshkhalia Para along the Bay of Bengal coast near Teknaf Sadar. Among those detained were two women, two children, and eight men.
The remaining eight members of the group reportedly escaped the area via auto-rickshaw shortly after landing. Authorities suspect they are still hiding somewhere in the Teknaf region.
Cross-Border Exodus Intensifies
This latest group is part of a growing wave of Rohingya fleeing renewed violence, as the Arakan Army (AA/ULA) continues its military campaign against Myanmar junta forces across northern Rakhine.
Since May 1, more than 180,000 Rohingyas have been displaced internally or forced across borders, according to estimates from UNHCR and the Bangladesh Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC).
While many attempt to hide within Bangladesh or seek aid, cross-border arrivals face detention, interrogation, and possible repatriation under the current policy framework.
“We fled because our village is gone,” said one man from the group before being taken into custody. “We didn’t come to stay—we just want to survive.”
The Dilemma of Forced Return
Rights groups have repeatedly urged Bangladeshi authorities to halt pushbacks and forced repatriations of Rohingya fleeing active conflict zones, citing violations of international humanitarian principles.
As the fighting escalates and escape routes narrow, refugees like this group of 22 are becoming symbols of a deepening humanitarian crisis with nowhere safe to turn.
