by Hafizur Rahman
March 14, 2026
Thirty seven Rohingya refugees, including women and children, were detained in Sandwip after leaving the Rohingya shelter on Bhasan Char, local authorities said.
According to officials, members of the Bangladesh Navy and police found the group during a late night operation on Friday near the embankment area of Santoshpur Union. Local residents first noticed the group and informed the police.
The detainees include eight men, six women, and twenty three children. After being found, authorities took them into custody and kept them at the Santoshpur Union Parishad office with support from the local administration.
Police said the Rohingya refugees had left Bhasan Char and traveled by boat before reaching Sandwip.
An officer from Sandwip Police Station said the group was rescued and placed under administrative custody after being found in the area. Authorities are preparing to send them back to the Bhasan Char shelter.
Bangladesh began relocating Rohingya refugees to Bhasan Char in December 2020 in an effort to reduce overcrowding in the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar. Since then, thousands of Rohingya refugees have been moved to the island.
Attempts by some refugees to leave Bhasan Char have occurred several times in recent years. In some cases, people have died after boats sank while trying to escape by sea.
Officials said the detained group will soon be returned to the Bhasan Char shelter.
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