35 Rohingya, Including Women and Children, Detained in Patenga While Attempting to Reach Chattogram

By: Camp Correspondent

Chattogram, Bangladesh | May 3, 2025

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-7) detained 35 Rohingya individuals, including women and children, from the Khejurtala Beribandh area of Patenga, Chattogram, on Saturday morning, reportedly as they attempted to enter the city by boat.

The group was apprehended during a raid based on a tip-off about the arrival of Rohingya by boat through Patenga Ghat, a known entry point near the Bangladesh–Myanmar maritime corridor.

“A subsequent raid led to the apprehension of 35 individuals—men, women, and children,” confirmed Senior Assistant Director ARM Mozaffar Hossain of RAB-7. “They have been handed over to Patenga Police Station for further legal procedures.”

Authorities are still investigating the exact origin of the group, with conflicting reports suggesting that some may have come from Myanmar directly, while others may have arrived from the Bhasan Char relocation facility.

“We are unsure whether they came from Myanmar or Bhasan Char. Police are continuing their inquiry,” Hossain said.

However, some of the detained individuals told officials they had paid Tk2,000 per person to brokers who promised safe passage into Chattogram city. The claim points to ongoing smuggling networks exploiting vulnerable Rohingya amid the intensifying conflict in Rakhine State and harsh conditions in both camps and the island settlement.

The arrest has sparked concern within the refugee community, where many families are increasingly desperate to escape conflict zones, aid shortages, or the isolation of Bhasan Char, seeking better survival chances in urban areas despite the risks.

“They’re not criminals. They’re just trying to live,” said a camp resident who knew one of the detainees. “When people are left with no options, they take dangerous routes.”

As instability across northern Arakan worsens and livelihood options remain scarce in refugee settlements, observers warn that more Rohingya may attempt such risky journeys, unless regional solutions and protections are urgently reinforced.