The government is planning to establish a dedicated prison facility for Rohingya inmates in Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya to prevent them from influencing local prisoners and spreading criminal networks.
The proposal, initiated by the Prison Directorate, is currently under consideration by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The move comes amid growing concerns from law enforcement and prison authorities regarding the involvement of displaced Myanmar nationals in serious crimes, including murder, drug trafficking, robbery, and arms smuggling.
According to prison sources, approximately 1,500 Rohingya are currently incarcerated across various jails in the country, often sharing cells with Bangladeshi nationals.
Authorities believe this co-mingling allows Rohingya inmates—described by officials as “dangerous and fearless”—to share criminal tactics and establish dangerous ties with local convicts.
Inspector General of Prisons Brigadier General Syed Md Motaher Hossain told TIMES of Bangladesh on Monday afternoon that Bangladeshi inmates were learning criminal activities from Rohingya prisoners.
“They are extremely dangerous and fearless,” he said.
“Considering the situation, we are working to keep them separately. A proposal for a dedicated prison has already been sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the ministry is examining the matter,” he added.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Bangladesh hosts around 1.3 million registered and unregistered Rohingya.
They are living in 33 camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar. To reduce overcrowding in the camps, the government has also developed a housing project on Bhasan Char island in Noakhali, where more than 30,000 Rohingya are currently living.
Cox’s Bazar Superintendent of Police ANM Sajedur Rahman told TIMES that Rohingya were involved in almost every type of crime, including murder, robbery, drug trafficking and arms smuggling.
He said the Rohingya population was responsible for the deterioration of the law and order situation in Cox’s Bazar. He added that several donor agencies supported the establishment of a separate prison for Rohingya inmates.
According to prison sources, on 19 May the office of the Deputy Inspector General of Prisons for Chattogram Division sent a summary proposing the construction of a separate prison to the Inspector General of Prisons. After scrutiny, the proposal was forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Mohammad Sagir Mia, Deputy Inspector General of Prisons for Chattogram Division, told TIMES that housing prisoners from the two countries together allowed relationships to develop between them, which could later create criminal networks.
He said there were currently around 1,500 Rohingya inmates. Investigations into cases against many of them were still under way, while others were facing trial. A proposal had therefore been made to establish a separate prison in the Ukhiya area for Rohingya prisoners.
An official of the prison wing of the Ministry of Home Affairs said the government was considering a separate prison for Rohingya inmates.
The official said the project involved land acquisition, manpower and budgetary requirements, and would also require the approval of the Ministry of Finance. If approved by the Cabinet, the separate prison would be established.
Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammed Mizanur Rahman said the 109-year-old Cox’s Bazar District Jail had a capacity of only 400 inmates but was currently housing between 2,500 and 3,000 prisoners on average, nearly half of whom were Rohingya.
