By: Camp Correspondent
December 30, 2024
Teknaf, Bangladesh — In a joint operation, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) rescued 19 Rohingya workers who had been abducted and brutally tortured by an armed gang in Teknaf’s Jadimura Refugee Camp No. 27. Fourteen members of the gang, including a prominent leader, were captured during the operation.
The rescue mission began at 6:00 PM and extended late into the night, with forces combing through the forested areas of Jadimura, Shal Baagan, and Shamlapoor. The security forces surrounded the gang’s hideout in the mountains and initiated a clearance operation, which is still ongoing as of late evening.
According to local sources who witnessed the operation, “The operation has been intense and carefully coordinated. We have apprehended 14 gang members so far, including their third-in-command. The gang’s leaders, Idris and Yakoob, who are reportedly from Sinyinpin village in Myanmar’s Buthidaung Township, remain at large. Efforts to capture them are continuing.”
The armed gang had been holding the hostages for ransom and subjecting them to severe abuse. Their hideout, located in the densely forested mountainous region, had been a hotspot for criminal activities, prompting the intervention of RAB, BGB, and the Army.
The operation underscores the ongoing challenges of maintaining security in the refugee camps, which have become vulnerable to exploitation by criminal groups. Authorities have pledged to bring the culprits to justice and ensure the safety of the Rohingya community in the camps.
Further updates will follow as the clearance operation progresses.
