Cox’s Bazar
Another Rohingya camp leader gets shot in Cox’s Bazar
A Rohingya leader of camp No 9 sustained a bullet injury in an attack by miscreants in Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday night.
Mohammad Hossain is a leader, locally known as Head Majhi, of the Rohingya camp No 9 in Balukhali Moinakhonar area of the upazila.
Sheikh Mohammad Ali, officer-in-charge of Ukhiya Police Station, confirmed the matter and said the Rohingya leader received three bullets in his body during the attack around 8pm, leaving him critically injured.
Read: Man arrested in fatal shooting of student at SUNY-Potsdam
He was rushed to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital where has been undergoing treatment, he said adding that no one has been arrested so far.
11-year-old girl shot dead at Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camp
An 11-year-old girl was killed after being hit by a stray bullet during a gunfight involving miscreants at a Rohingya camp in Ukhia upazila of Cox’s Bazar district early Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as Tasfia, daughter of Yeasin of No 18 Rohingya camp in Balukhali.
Sheikh Mohammad Ali, officer-in-charge of Ukhia Police Station, said two groups of miscreants entered the Rohingya camp around 1:20 am and exchanged bullets.
At one stage, Tasfia received a bullet and died on the spot while his father and others were trying to leave the camp to a safer place.
On information, police recovered the body and sent it to Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.
IOM unveils first 12 of 100 under-construction community clinics in Cox’s Bazar
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has completed the first 12 of 100 community clinics under construction in Cox’s Bazar, as part of a joint effort with the Government of Bangladesh and the World Bank to expand access to health care.
“Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Bangladesh has boosted national health care programmes and launched comprehensive countrywide COVID-19 vaccination operations, which IOM supported in Cox’s Bazar and other parts of the country,” said Health and Family Welfare Zahid Maleque on Sunday.
“We are now working together to ensure the healthcare system reaches the doorstep of every person. The inauguration of the newly constructed community clinics in Cox’s Bazar is one of many government interventions to achieve this goal.”
Access to basic infrastructure and services in the southernmost part of the country, where Bangladesh hosts around 1 million Rohingya refugees, were already much lower compared to the national average. Many of the existing health facilities were built two decades ago and have since suffered infrastructural damage caused by flooding and other natural hazards.
IOM demolished the old clinics and constructed larger, environmentally sustainable buildings that include solar-powered systems, safe water supply and improved sanitation facilities.
“The multidimensional needs of refugee and host communities requires strong partnerships between key humanitarian and development actors to simultaneously tackle immediate and long-term challenges,” said Abdusattor Esoev, IOM Chief of Mission in Bangladesh.
“This collaboration between the Government of Bangladesh, World Bank and IOM represents a concrete example of how to translate the humanitarian-development nexus into lasting results.”
As the first line of care in the communities, these clinics provide much-needed support with reproductive and family medicine; health screenings, gender-based violence response and nutrition counselling.
“We have been working in close coordination with the humanitarian agencies, development partners and non-governmental organizations,” said Dandan Chen, World Bank Acting Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan.
“Through a total of USD 150 million in grant support to IOM among other actors, the World Bank is helping to address the needs of host communities in Bangladesh and displaced Rohingya until their safe, voluntary and dignified return home to Myanmar.”
IOM also upgraded, staffed and equipped Sadar Hospital, the district’s only secondary health care centre. The 250-bed facility provides specialized services, including special neonatal care, emergency, intensive care and coronary care units; COVID-19 treatment; blood transfusions and voluntary counselling and testing for HIV and AIDS cases, among others.
“The recently built patient ward is better than the ward that we have been shifted from,” said Abul Hasan, a 60-year-old local patient at Sadar Hospital. “We will benefit in lots of ways once the hospital has been fully renovated.”
Construction of the remaining clinics and renovations to the district hospital are ongoing and expected to be completed in 2023. During the pre-construction phase, IOM built temporary structures to ensure continued access to health care services.
13-year-old boy tied to tree, tortured to death in Cox’s Bazar: One held
A 13-year-old teenage boy was tortured to death after being tied to a tree over a trifling matter in Eidgaon upazila of Cox’s Bazar district on Sunday.
The deceased was identified as Mohammad Sazzad, son of Nurul Huda of Uttar Sat Jhulakata village in the upazila.
Mahfuzul Islam, superintendent of Cox’s Bazar Police, said a complaint has been lodged with Eidgaon Police.
Police registered a murder case following the complaint later.
Police also arrested Mohammad Alam, the prime accused in the case in the small hours of Monday. The others accused were identified as Abdus Salam alias Tuilla, 55, son of Saber Ahmed, Minuara Begum, 40, wife of Abdus Salam and Nurul Azim alias Kalu, 15, son of Abdus Salam.
Sazzad had a quarrel with the son of Alam and he tortured Sazzad over the issue, he said. “However, police are investigating the incident.”
Read: 6-year-old raped in Rajshahi, youth held
According to the complaint, a group of miscreants dragged and picked up Sazzad to East Isakhali village from in front of a tea shop around 3 pm on Saturday.
Later, a group of musclemen led by Alam, 30, beat Sazzad up mercilessly after tying him up to a betel-nut tree.
When Sazzad became unconscious, they left him abandoned, assuming that he was dead.
On information, Sazzad’s father Nurul rescued him and gave him first aid. After seeing the deteriorated condition of Sazzad, they took him to Eidgaon Medical Hospital where the doctors declared him dead at 6 pm on Sunday.
Police sent the body to the hospital morgue for autopsy.
Efforts are on to arrest other culprits, said SP Mahfuzul.
Cinematographer Zahid Hossain killed in road accident
Cinematographer Zahid Hossain was killed in a road accident on Wednesday.
The accident occurred in Chakaria’s Baniachara area on Dhaka-Chattogram highway at about 6:00am while he was going to Cox’s Bazar on his motorbike.
Many small screen artistes have expressed their grief and sorrow on social media after learning about the sad demise of Zahid.
Actress Monira Mithu has written “Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Rajiun. Our favorite cinematographer Zahid Hossain has died in a road crash. I’m just speechless. What kind of passing is this?”
“Zahid was a young, talented and smiling cinematographer of Bangladeshi media industry. He was liked by all. I can’t accept the fact that he is no more,” wrote director Gautam Kouri.
Read: Schoolboy killed in Dhaka road crash
Actor Irfan Sazzad has said “I told you many times to get rid of your craze on bikes. I told you again and again that the roads of Bangladesh aren’t suitable for riding bikes. But you didn’t listen to me and now see what has happened. Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Rajiun.”
Zahid has worked in numerous dramas as a cinematographer, including Bhalobashar Karagar, Paying Ghost, Lilua and The Last Hope.
Army chiefs of 24 countries visit Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar
Army chiefs of 24 countries visited a Rohingya camp in Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar district on Tuesday.
They exchanged views with the displaced Rohingyas, who put their problems and recommendations to them, during the visit.
Osman Goni, a Rohingya leader of camp no 11, said they don’t want to go to any third country; rather they want to go back to their own country.
“We informed the army chiefs to create an environment for safe repatriation through intervention of the international community,” he said.
Read: No lasting solution to Rohingya issue without repatriation
Besides, representatives of different organizations of the United Nations also briefed the army chiefs regarding the Rohingyas.
Earlier, the army chiefs took part in the second session of an international seminar ‘Challenges and Possibilities of maintaining peace and security in the Indo-Pacific Ocean’ at a hotel in the upazila.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the three-day seminar virtually at Radisson Blue Water Garden in the capital on Monday.
Mentionable, Bangladesh has been hosting the international seminar of high-ranked army officials of the Indo-Pacific region as co-organizer for the third time after 1993 and 2014.
“We are Rohingya” photo exhibition begins in Cox’s Bazar
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in partnership with the Cox’s Bazar Art Club has launched a two-week photo exhibition called “Aara Rohingya’” or “We are Rohingya”, showcasing photos taken by ten Rohingya refugees and allowing for an intimate look into what life is like for people living in the largest refugee camp in the world.
The exhibition that began on Thursday, will run till September 14 at the Cox’s Bazar Cultural Center.
Based on the Rohingyatographer magazine, this exhibit allows visitors to learn more about the individuals who have found refuge in Bangladesh, after fleeing violence and persecution in Myanmar five years ago.
“Through photography, Rohingya youth are telling their stories and document their collective memory and cultural heritage. The exhibit also shows how the lived memories of millions of Bangladeshis who were uprooted during the Liberation War inspired their generosity to host the persecuted Rohingya from neighbouring Myanmar.” says Johannes van der Klaauw, UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh.
Read: Repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar ultimate solution: S Korea
Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar camps rally marking 5th anniversary of genocide
Rohingyas of Ukhiya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar staged a rally with seven demands including repatriation marking five years since the genocide in Myanmar and their forced relocation in Bangladesh.
Some 12 rallies were held in Lambashia, Shafiullah Kata, Balukhali, Jamtali, Hakimpara, Madhurchhara and other camps amid tight security measures taken by Armed Police Battalion (APBn).
The Rohingya refugees demanded immediate beginning of their repatriation to Myamnmar, justice for Rohingya genocide, returning their citizenship rights, cancellation of Myanmar Citizenship Act 1982, returning their lands in Rakhine state, and safe zones for Rohingyas in Myamnar in the rallies.
Secretaries of Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPHR) Master Jobair, Master Nurul Amin, Mohammad Rafiq, Jumadila Begum spoke at the rally held at Lambashia camp.
On August 25, 2019, first millions of Rohingyas gathered for a rally led by ARSPHR president Mohib Ullah, who was later shot dead in the camp on September 29, 202.
For the last two years Rohingyas were not allowed to hold such huge rallies in the camp. This year they got approval to hold separate rallies in different camps, said some of the organizers.
In 2017, Rohingyas were forced to leave their country and take refuge in Bangladesh after facing the most heinous ethnic cleansing campaign by the Myanmar Army.
Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation deal on November 23, 2017.
On January 16, 2018 Bangladesh and Myanmar inked a document on “Physical Arrangement”, which was supposed to facilitate the return of Rohingyas to their homeland.
Also read: FM reiterates Dhaka’s call for repatriation of Rohingyas
3 held over gang rape of Cox’s Bazar school teacher
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) have detained three people from Sadar upazila of Cox’s Bazar in connection with the gang rape of a school teacher.
The detainees were Bedar Mia, 28, Mostak Mia, 24, and Belal Uddin, 22, of the district.
Read:Housewife gang raped in Thakurgaon: 3 held
A team of Rab-15 detained the trio from an under-construction building in PM Khali area of the town Tuesday night following a complaint filed at Cox’s Bazar Sadar police station by the rape survivor, said Assistant Superintendent of Police Nityananda Das at a press briefing on Wednesday.
On August 19, prime accused Bedar Mia along with his three associates raped the school teacher at gun point taking her to the under-construction building.
The detainees confessed to their crime during primary questioning, said the officer.
The detainees were handed over to Cox’s Bazar Sadar police station, he added.
2 get 14 yrs jail for abducting schoolgirl in Cox’s Bazar
A Cox’s Bazar court on Tuesday sentenced two males to 14 years in prison each, in a case filed over abducting a schoolgirl in the district in 2016.
The court of Women and Children Repression and Prevention Tribunal-2 Judge Md Mashiur Rahman also fined the convicts Tk 10,000 each; in default of which they would have to suffer further six months of rigorous imprisonment.
Adesh Barua, 22, and Sindha Modhu Barua, 30, are both residents of Ramu upazila in the district.
According to the case statement, Adesh and Sindha Modhu kidnapped a class 8 student, Lima Baura, while she was on her way to school from her residence in Fatekharkul Baruapara of Ramu upazila on January 11, 2016.
Read: 5 to hang in Ctg naval base blasts case
Later, the victim’s mother Purnima Barua filed a case accusing three people at the police station on January 16 of the same year.
The court tried the convicts in absentia and handed down its verdict after examining the witnesses and documents, Advocate Syed Rezaur Rahman, special public prosecutor of the court said, adding that another accused by the family was acquitted from all charges in the case.