22 Rohingyas enter Bangladesh via Teknaf border, 14 detained by BGB

Twenty-two Rohingyas from Myanmar crossed into Bangladesh via the Teknaf border in Cox’s Bazar. Of them, 14 were detained by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Thursday afternoon (June 5) near the Abu Siddique Market, close to the Teknaf bus station.

All 14 detainees are members of the families of Mohammad Amin and Mostafa Kamal from Lambabil village in Buthidaung of Rakhine State, Myanmar. The group includes two women, two men, and ten children.

One of the family members, Amina Khatun, said, “I gave birth to a baby boy 13 days ago while we were hiding in the hills. Later, we paid a broker and came to Teknaf by boat.”

Mohammad Amin and Mostafa Kamal said they crossed the Bay of Bengal by boat, traveling through areas near Saint Martin’s Island, and landed on the Maheshkhaliyapara coast in Teknaf. The other eight people who were with them belong to the family of Shafiullah from the same village. They left the area right after getting off the boat.

The remaining 14 traveled by autorickshaw to the Teknaf bus station, where they were seen waiting in front of a market. Members of an intelligence agency identified and detained them.

An intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the BGB was notified after the group was located, and they were later taken into BGB custody.

Lieutenant Colonel Md Ashiqur Rahman, commander of BGB's Teknaf-2 Battalion, said, “We have taken the 14 Rohingyas into our custody, and the process of repatriating them to Myanmar is currently underway.”