Several hundred Rohingya people stranded along Naf river in Myanmar

DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) – Several hundred Rohingya people are stranded just across the Naf River opposite Teknaf, unable to enter Bangladesh due to tightened border security, reports The Daily Star. 

Rohingya community leaders estimate that around 300-400 Rohingyas have gathered along the frontier, many fleeing fierce clashes in Myanmar’s Rakhine State involving the Arakan Army, Rohingya armed groups, and junta forces seeking to regain control of lost territory. Fourteen of Rakhine’s 17 townships are now under Arakan Army control.

The matter of Rohingyas massing near the border was raised at a National Task Force meeting on Rohingya Affairs, chaired by Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka on Sunday. 

Officials at the meeting confirmed reports that some Rohingyas are crossing into Bangladesh despite heightened patrols.

Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, however, told The Daily Star he had no official confirmation of such gatherings. He acknowledged, though, that Myanmar’s military carried out airstrikes on Maungdaw and surrounding areas three days ago, intensifying violence there.

Mohammad Kamal, a leader from Camp-27 in Cox’s Bazar, said more than 300 Rohingyas are sheltering near Laldwip in Myanmar, opposite Jaliya Dwip in Bangladesh. “Every day, some Rohingyas slip into the camps evading BGB patrols,” he said.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) officials, meanwhile, said strict surveillance is preventing crossings.

“With the sea rough, boat entry is blocked, which may have left some Rohingyas stranded across the border,” said Lt Col Ashiqur Rahman, commander of the BGB’s Teknaf-2 Battalion.

Syed Alam, secretary of FDMN-RC, a Rohingya rights group, warned of a potential new influx if the conflict escalates further. He accused the Arakan Army of committing atrocities that have forced Rohingyas to flee their villages.