Cox's Bazar passengers must carry photo ID

Amid rising concern about Rohingya refugees leaving makeshift shelters and spreading across the country, the home ministry yesterday issued an instruction to bus and other transport owners in Cox's Bazar to check passenger identification.

"We want to stop them from fanning out of their shelters in Cox's Bazar," Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told BSS today.

He said all passengers will need to produce their photo identity cards while availing any type of transport in the area as law enforcement agencies have set up check posts at different points.

Earlier, Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque said since the latest influx of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar began to pour in after August 25, more than 200 such refugees were detained from different locations in the country and sent back to camps in Cox's Bazar.

On September 14, police detained 20 Rohingyas in Manikganj and sent them back to the refugee camps in Cox's Bazar.

According to police headquarters, on September 10, it sent out an order to superintendents of police (SPs) in three districts -- Cox's Bazar, Bandarban and Chittagong, additional inspector general of Special Branch, director general of Rapid Action Battalion and commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan of Police -- to take necessary measures to stop the refugees from fleeing the camps.

The directive particularly asked police chiefs of the three districts to intensify intelligence surveillance on road, water and airways so the Rohingyas, fleeing from violence in Rakhine state in neighbouring Myanmar, cannot leave Cox's Bazar.

The police headquarters also asked police personnel of the three districts to ensure that female refugees are not subjected to sexual harassment and be vigilant about them being used for smuggling contraband items and weapons.