Rohingya camp-based crimes must be stopped: Home minister
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan has warned of stern action against those who are involved in criminal activities – like theft, robbery, murder, forced disappearance, kidnapping for ransom etc – in Rohingya camps.
"All kinds of crimes rooted in Rohingya refugee camps will be controlled strictly," he said on Sunday during the 26th meeting of the Ministry of Home Affairs' Standing Committee in Cox's Bazar.
Responding to a question during the meeting, the minister said, "The list of drugs or information in this regard has been made available in the ministry in various ways. Therefore, these data are being verified as just being on the list does not prove anyone to be a criminal."
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"The committee is concerned about the overall Rohingya crisis. Around 12 lakh Rohingyas are already living in Bangladesh and their rising population is adding to our worry. However, diplomatic and international efforts are underway to expedite the process of Rohingya repatriation," Benazir Ahmed, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Home Affairs Ministry, told media after the meeting.
He said, "The meeting agenda included detailed discussion and decision-making on how to prevent drug smuggling through border areas and the activities of BGB and Coast Guard in the border of the region including St Martin's Island. As part of the meeting, the committee members have been visiting Cox's Bazar for the last four days. They took part in the on-site inspection of border areas and held discussions with various forces."
When asked about multiple groups or forces fighting inside Myanmar, Benazir Ahmed said such incidents have some effects on our country due to the shared border area.
"In this regard, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Border Guard Police (BGP), Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard have been put on alert," he said asserting that there will be no compromise when it comes to border security.
The standing committee meeting started at 10am in Shaheed ATM Zafar Alam auditorium at Cox's Bazar deputy commissioner's office.
Other standing committee members Md Afsarul Amin, MP, Md Habibur Rahman, MP, Samshul Alam Dudu, MP, Kujendra Lal Tripura, MP, Pir Fazlur Rahman, MP, Noor Mohammad, MP, Sultan Mohammad Mansoor Ahmad, MP, Begum Rumana Ali, MP were present in the meeting alongside senior law enforcement officers.
