The Navy and police have detained 37 Rohingyas who fled from the Bhasan Char refugee camp in Sandwip. They were apprehended during a joint operation on Friday night in the embankment area of Santoshpur Union in the upazila.
Earlier, around 11:30pm on Friday, local residents spotted several Rohingyas loitering in the Ilish Ghat area of Santoshpur and informed law enforcement agencies. Subsequently, police and navy personnel conducted a raid there and detained them.
Among those detained are 8 men, 6 women, and 23 children and adolescents.
The detained Rohingyas stated that they were supposed to be taken to the Sitakunda coast by traffickers for a fee of Tk5,000 each. Last Tuesday, they had left Bhashan Char refugee camp, first hiding in Paraban. After staying there for a day, they had boarded a small boat destined for Sitakunda on Wednesday night.
However, the boat sank near the shore, and they were later transferred to another boat. However, before reaching Sitakunda, that boat ran out of fuel. After drifting at sea for three consecutive days, the traffickers left them at the Sandwip Ghat area.
The Rohingyas alleged that the traffickers took their money, gold ornaments, and mobile phones along the way.
Sandwip Police Station OC Zahed Noor stated that the detained Rohingyas were kept overnight at the Santoshpur Union Parishad building. According to the administration’s decision, they will be sent back to the Bhasanchar refugee camp.
