Food aid reaching all

No Rohingyas, who took refuge in Bangladesh fleeing Myanmar military crackdown, have been suffering from any shortage of food and water, said additional refugee relief and repatriation commissioner of disaster management and relief ministry at a meeting in Chittagong yesterday. 

“Apart from that, vaccination programme for Rohingya children has already commenced,” said Mohammed Shamsud Douza, also a deputy secretary. He, however, said they were facing problems in reaching out to remote areas of Teknaf for distributing relief due to a poor road communication.

Along with the government, international organisations are also distributing relief among the Rohingyas, he informed the meeting of a 14-member committee at the office of Chittagong divisional commissioner in the port city with Divisional Commissioner Md Abdul Mannan in the chair. To identify Myanmar citizens who took refuge in Bangladesh, the committee was formed on January 26 this year making the divisional commissioner and additional divisional commissioner (development) president and member secretary respectively. Though the committee met on a few occasions beforehand, this is its first meeting after the recent Rohingya influx to Bangladesh following Myanmar military crackdown starting on August 25.   

At yesterday's meeting, Divisional Commissioner Abdul Mannan said a letter was sent to six deputy commissioners (DCs) on September 16, asking them to ensure cordial atmosphere while distributing relief materials.    

Moreover, on Tuesday, a letter was also sent to the Ministry of Public Administration seeking 10 officials with the status of deputy secretary to assist and monitor the relief distribution among the Rohingyas, he told the meeting. 

At the meeting, Chittagong Metropolitan Police Commissioner Iqbal Bahar proposed forming a refugee camp management committee. He said, “Administration can put fence around the 2,000 acres of land which has been allocated for Rohingyas so that they cannot go outside.”

Chittagong Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) SM Moniruzzaman said around 1,841 Rohingyas were sent back to Kutupalong camp in Teknaf after they were found in different districts till September 19.

In addition, 28 check posts have been set up from Cox's bazaar to Feni to check the spread of Rohingyas.

“Additional force of 658 police personnel have been deployed in Cox's Bazar for Rohingyas while a battalion of APBN is likely to be deployed only for Rohingyas”, added the DIG.

Colonel Anis, deputy commander of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) of Chittagong region, said a total of 4,000 BGB personnel under four battalions and 16 platoons have been deployed at 12 Rohingya refugee camps in Teknaf.

Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Khalid, director (operation) of the newly formed BGB ad-hoc region headquarters in Cox's Bazar, added apart from 4,000, 1,000 more BGB personnel were brought for Rohingyas.

Brigadier General Md Adil Chowdhury, chief of divisional office of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) in Chittagong, said, “A few check posts set up by the police need to be relocated.”

“A check post is needed to be set up in Noakhali area to check move of Rohingyas.”

He also stressed the need for proper relief distribution management so that no one can serve their ill motive.

Zonal Commander of Bangladesh Coast Guard (East Zone) Captain Shahidul Islam said the influx of Rohingyas through Naf river reduced significantly while no new blaze was seen on the other side of the river.

 “Coast Guard personnel were patrolling on Naf river… We found only two boats carrying Rohingyas on Tuesday…"

Deputy commissioners (DCs) of Chittagong and Noakhali, and representatives of DCs of Cox's Bazar and Bandarban, Director of Ansar and Village Defense Party (VDP) of Chittagong and Chittagong regional forest conservator were also present in the meeting.