Cox's Bazar, Jun 9 (bdnews24.com) – Bangladeshi border guards have increased patrolling as part of heightened vigilance along its border with Myanmar in the wake of a raging communal riot between the Rohingya Muslims and majority Buddhists in the neighbouring country's Muangdaw area.
At least four people of Rakhaine community died in the violence on Friday, Reuters news agency reported.
Amid conflicting reports of casualties, state-run MRTV reported a curfew had been imposed in Maungdaw and Buthidaung but it did not mention anything of the unrest, or who were involved in its news. Both areas are dominated by Rohingyas. On Saturday, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) said they took additional security measures fearing influx of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar into Cox's Bazar district, which is already burdened with Rohingya refugees. BGB said issuing transit passes for visiting Myanmar remained suspended for a day. On Friday, the Myanmar border force Nasaka sent back six Bangladeshi traders who wanted to go to Muangdaw where the riot had taken place. bdnews24.com's Cox's Bazar correspondent reported that the administrative officials of the Teknaf upazlia visited Rakhaine villages to make sure that the riot in Myanmar does not spread in Bangladesh. H M Yunus, Vice Chairman of Teknaf Upazila, told reporters that the visits to the Rakhaine villages were made to avoid any untoward incidents following news of raging communal tensions in Myanmar. "We have urged them to maintain harmony," he said. Major Mohammad Shafikur Rahman, Deputy Commander of the BGB's 42nd Battalion in Teknaf, said that the BGB increased border vigilance to prevent Rohingya intrusion. The villages dominated by Rakhaine people remained under special surveillance while special patrols had been posted at the Rohingya refugee camps, Rahman said. Most of the Rohingyas who came from Myanmar are living in Cox's Bazar. The Rakhaines also live in the district. Around 25,000 Rohingyas live in two refugee camps in Teknaf. Many others illegally live in nearby Bandarban district and other parts of the country. In the early 90s, when the Buddhists in Rakhaine State started oppressing Rohingya Muslims, about 500,000 of them fled to Bangladesh. The Myanmar Government has not recognised this group of people as Rohingyas or indigenous, rather the ruling quarters term them 'Bengalis'. The Myanmar government has not responded to the government's requests to take the Rohingya refugees back. The Rohingyas are also accused of being involved in various criminal activities in Bangladesh. Conflicting reports Reuters news agency reported on Friday that at least four Buddhists from Rakhaine community died in the riot. A senior official in President Thein Sein's office, Hmu Zaw, wrote on his Facebook page that four Buddhists, among them a doctor and an elderly man, had died of multiple knife wounds, the agency said. A Muangdaw hospital official, however, said one was killed and four others were wounded. Rohingya political party National Democratic Party for Development Chairman Abu Tahay told Reuters over telephone that the riot occurred when a group of Buddhists hurled stones at the mosque in Muangdaw after the Friday prayers. He claimed five Rohingyas were shot dead when security forces opened fires on them after the riot started. Reuters could not independently verify Tahay's claims. "The situation is now very critical and unstable," Reuters quoted him as saying by phone from Yangon. "Violence hasn't started yet, but it might soon." bdnews24.com/corr/zk/jr/1224h Source |
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