More than 700 Rohingyas living illegally outside refugee camps were detained in Palongkhali Union under Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar.
The detention was carried out in a joint operation led by the Bangladesh Army in the Moragachtala area. The drive began around 7am on Sunday outside the barbed‑wire fences near Camps 11 and 12. Lieutenant Colonel Saimon Sikder, commander of the Ukhiya Army Camp, led the operation.
According to joint forces sources, the detainees were registered in various Rohingya camps in Ukhiya but had been living outside the camps for a long time.
Major Ahsanul Hai Saurav, deputy commander of the 9 Bengal Regiment, said, “The detainees were living illegally outside the camps. This operation is being conducted to prevent any sabotage and maintain law and order ahead of the 13th parliamentary election.”
He added that after verifying their identities, the Rohingyas are being sent back to their respective camps. The operation is still ongoing.
Earlier, joint forces detained 345 Rohingyas in several phases from Dohazari in Chattogram and later sent them to refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.
Law enforcement agencies have strengthened security measures in Cox’s Bazar and surrounding areas ahead of the general election scheduled to be held on 12 February.
