Bangladesh: Gang violence in Rohingya refugee camp sparks fear

The escalating conflict between armed criminal gangs inside crowded Rohingya refugee camps in southern Bangladesh has alarmed authorities.

At least six people were killed and 20 injured in an attack on a Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar on Friday, police said. This is the latest incident of violence that has occurred in the refugee settlement.

The gang shot and stabbed people at an Islamic school in the camp, killing three teachers, two volunteers and a student, according to police.

In September, the killing of a prominent Rohingya civilian leader exposed escalating conflict between criminal gangs within the sprawling settlement.

Mohibullah, 48, was killed in his office by an unidentified armed group from a camp. The teacher has become the main voice for the stateless community, uniting refugees to return to Myanmar if the country offers them citizenship.

Bangladesh PM: Rohingya pose ‘major security threat’
Conflict within the refugee camps has claimed the lives of at least 89 Rohingya refugees since the mass exodus in August 2017. At that time, more than 730,000 Rohingya fled from Rakhine state to Bangladesh following massive military retaliation and attacks by Rohingya insurgents on outposts. a police post and a military base.

Another 109 refugees, suspected of being involved in drug trafficking, were killed by Bangladeshi security authorities in so-called gunfights in 2018.

Bangladesh has been considered a safe haven for many Rohingya Muslims who have sought refuge to save themselves from a crackdown launched by Myanmar’s security forces. This Buddhist-majority country does not recognize these minorities as citizens and restricts their freedom within the state. However, in June, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the Rohingya were increasingly “posing a major security threat to Bangladesh and the region as well.”

“Only a small part is involved”