Four Rohingya refugees who were abducted from Teknaf in Cox's Bazar have been released in exchange for a ransom of Tk 5 lakh. The abducted Rohingyas are: Mohammad Yunus, 32, son of Nur Hossain; Mohammad Sultan, 24, son of Mohammad Rafiq; Abdullah, 16, son of Abdur Rahman; and Anwar Islam, 18, son of Mohammad Syed. They are all residents of Alikhali Rohingya Camp-25, Block D/22, under Hnila union of Teknaf. Read: 2 BCL leaders arrested for abduction, robbery at Dhaka College The abducted Rohingyas returned home on Monday (June 5) evening, said Jamal Pasha, superintendent of police and deputy commander of 16 Armed Police Battalion (APBn). They were given first aid at the NGO hospital. Later, the APBn members handed them over to their families, he added. Read: Ctg boy killed after abduction for ransom; 2 arrested Earlier on Friday (June 2, 2023) night, five Rohingyas were abducted by miscreants from Alikhali camp in Teknaf. Of them, Jahangir Alam was dropped off, with his hands cut off, near the camp on Sunday (June 4, 2023) evening. Later, locals rescued him and took him to the hospital. He is now receiving treatment at the hospital. Read: Abduction in guise of DB: Constable put on 1-day remand

The 14-member Myanmar delegation held a three-hour meeting with the Rohingyas, who fled the Buddhist-majority country amid military persecution and have taken shelter in Cox's Bazar, ahead of their possible repatriation that is being discussed. However, the Rohingyas are not satisfied with the assurances given by the delegation. The meeting was held with more than 200 Rohingyas at Jadimura Shalbagan camp in Teknaf on Thursday (May 25, 2023) afternoon. Later, the delegation returned to Myanmar by trawler via Teknaf-Myanmar transit jetty at Jaliapara municipality. Read more: Myanmar team arrives in Cox's Bazar to verify list of Rohingya for repatriation Earlier, the 14-member delegation from Myanmar arrived in a cargo trawler at Teknaf-Myanmar Transit Jetty of Teknaf Municipality Jaliapara around 10am on Thursday. The team was led by Aung Myo, Maungdaw's regional director at the Ministry of Social Affairs. After the meeting, Director General (Myanmar) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Moinul Kabir said, "Our main objective is to repatriate the Rohingyas. Because that's the only permanent solution. Various initiatives are being taken to send Rohingyas to their home countries. In continuation of this, the Myanmar team has come.” Expressing dissatisfaction with the assurance of the delegation, some of the Rohingya participants of the meeting said that they demanded Myanmar citizenship, return of their lands and freedom of movement like other communities in the country.  "They're talking about taking us to camps in that country with an NBC card. But that's not how we're willing to go,” a Rohingya participant said, in return for anonymity to discuss the issue. Read more: Dhaka seeks global support in pilot Rohingya repatriation project.

About 2,000 homes were destroyed while over 10,000 houses partially damaged during tropical cyclone Mocha in the Saint Martin's island and Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar district, said State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Enamur Rahman on Monday. However, no casualties had been reported as the authorities concerned managed to move vulnerable people from cyclone-prone areas to shelters, he said while talking to reporters at the Secretariat. When the very severe cyclonic storm Mocha crossed Bangladesh's coast, the wind speed was 148 km per hour in the Saint Martin's island and 80 km in Cox’s Bazar and Teknaf, said the state minister. Mentioning about the damages caused by Mocha, Enamur said many trees were uprooted while a number of people were injured. They are undergoing treatment in local hospitals, he said. Besides, the local administration is taking care of those who returned to their respective homes after the announcement of hoisting local cautionary signal No 3 instead of great danger signal no 10 by the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, he said. Also read: Powerful Cyclone Mocha floods homes, cuts communications in western Myanmar, at least 700 injured “We have asked to provide corrugated iron sheets and cash money for the rehabilitation of the people in vulnerable areas and a list will be made and necessary assistance will be provided as per the list,’ he said.  

Cyclone Mocha is crossing Bangladesh’s coast. Drizzling, accompanied by gusty wind, has started in St Martin’s Island and nearby Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar.  TRACK CYCLONE MOCHA LIVE:  The outermost band of Cyclone Mocha reached the coast of Myanmar's Rakhine state Sunday morning, and by afternoon the center of the storm was expected to make landfall near Sittwe township, which was under the highest weather alert, Myanmar’s Meteorological Department said Sunday (May 14, 2023). Read More: Cyclone Preparedness: Safety measures to follow before, during, after the disaster

Cyclone Mocha is likely to hit the coastal areas of Bangladesh, especially Chattogram, Teknaf and Cox's Bazar, on Sunday (May 14, 2023). The Department of Posts and Telecommunications has already instructed all the subordinate agencies, including the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, to complete necessary preparations to ensure that all types of telecommunications services continue during the disaster and post-disaster period to deal with the cyclone, according to a press release. The BTRC has also directed all the licensees concerned and all telecom operators providing telecommunication services to form emergency response teams and set up control rooms on Saturday. Read More: This is how Cyclone Mocha was named, plus all you need to know A 10-member emergency response team has been formed by the BTRC. The team will take measures in coordination with the telecom operators to ensure uninterrupted service, including round-the-clock monitoring of the telecommunications service system in the cyclone-affected areas, and will continue close contact with the concerned district and upazila administrations. Besides, the BTRC has also started a control room with three members. The two control room numbers are 01552202854 and 01552202886. The BTRC control room is coordinating between the monitoring team formed by the BTRC and how the licensees working in the coastal areas are working to deal with the Mocha. Besides, mobile operators, NTTNs, ISPs and other licensed officials concerned are taking necessary measures to inform the control room if they face any problem in taking action in the coastal areas, said the release. Read More: Cyclone Mocha may cross Cox’s Bazar between 9am and 3pm today, no possibility of turning into super cyclonic storm: BMD In view of the BTRC directive, the telecom operators have set up control rooms in their respective offices to ensure uninterrupted telecommunication services in the coastal areas and surrounding areas and adequate batteries, diesel generators, portable generators and additional vehicles have been arranged to travel during the disaster to ensure power backup to keep their network system active. Mobile operator Grameenphone has taken the initiative to provide special packages to provide free telecommunication services to the people of cyclone-affected areas. Grameenphone's emergency contact numbers are 01711505368, 0171108110101, 01711081804. Banglalink has said that special measures will be taken to make it easier to recharge mobile phones along with text messages and social media campaigns to make people aware of the cyclone situation. Banglalink's emergency contact numbers are 0196244565, 01911310795, 01962424706. Read More: Cyclone Mocha starts crossing Cox’s Bazar with speed of up to 215 kmph: BMD Robi customers will get emergency balance, minutes and internet by dialing *8# at any time. Robi's hotline number is 0181718368, 01819210350 Teletalk has taken steps to ensure commercial power supply along with adequate fuel supply by removing mechanical defects of all generators to ensure power supply at core site and hub site. Besides, a response team has been formed and a control room has been set up. Emergency Response Team Numbers- 01550155045, 015505155034, 0155015053. Control Room Number-02333315900, 0155515211. Bangladesh Telecommunication Company Limited (BTCL) has opened a control room to deal with the problem. The contact number of the control room is 0248317788. Read More: Cyclone Preparedness: Safety measures to follow before, during and after disaster The emergency contact number of the tower construction company edotco-, 01871006730. The summit's emergency contact number is 01791040385, 01711080484. Kirtankhola's emergency contact number is 01401159572 (Chattogram and Cox's Bazar) 01713479912 (Barisal). Frontier's Emergency Contact Number- 01810169540, 01810169548. ISPs, NTTNs and other telecom operators have taken steps and are constantly trying to keep their networks active in the areas likely to hit the cyclone during the disaster.

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) arrested a man along with 1.13 kgs of crystal meth, 3,000 Yaba pills, 20 kgs of current nets from a boat in the Naf River in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar district early Wednesday. The arrestee was identified as Md Rifat alias Bila, 21, son of Shamsul Alam of the upazila. Tipped off, a team of BGB-2 conducted a drive in the area around 2:25 am and challenged a boat while crossing the border, said commanding officer of BGB-2 Lieutenant Colonel Md Mohiuddin Ahmed. Later, the BGB men arrested Bila while another man managed to flee the scene. After searching the boat, the BGB men seized the contraband items.  

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained four Myanmar nationals and seized 10,000 Yaba pills, 1.06 kgs of Crystal meth, 35 bottles of foreign liquor and 430 cans of beer from them at Jaliardwip in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar district. The BGB conducted the drive on Monday night. Also Read: ‘Drug peddler’s’ throat-slit body found in Chuadanga The detainees were identified as Waz Karim, 22, son of Shafiur Rahman, Mahbubur Rahman, 19, son of Amir Hakim, Md Foysal, 20, son of Anis Ahmed and Jashim uddin, son of Hossain Ahmed of Myanmar. Among them, Foysal and Jashim were the residents of Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar and Balukhali camp. Also Read: Huge haul of drugs busted at Chapainawabganj border: BGB Tipped off, a team of BGB-2 conducted a drive in the area and challenged a boat while crossing the zero line of the bordering area around 10:20 pm, said Commanding officer of BGB-2, Lieutenant Colonel Mohiuddin Ahmed. Also Read: Myanmar national among 3 held with Crystal meth, Yaba pills in Teknaf Later, they managed to detain four people and seized the drugs including beer and liquor from inside the boat. A process is on to hand them over to Teknaf Police Station.    

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members detained a suspected drug trader along with 30,000 Yaba pills from Baroitoli area in Teknaf upazila on Monday night. The arrestee is Sirajul Islam, 25, son of Mohammad Shah of Baroitoli village in the upazila. Read more: Smuggled drugs, other goods worth over Tk 1,565 cr seized in 2022: BGB Tipped-off, a special patrol team of BGB-2 conducted a drive at Sirajul's house and detained him along with the Yaba pills, said Lieutenant Colonel Sheikh Khalid Mohammad Iftekhar, commanding officer of BGB-2 Battalion. During the drive, two mobile handsets and Tk 5,000 were recovered from the possession of the arrestee. Read more: BGB seizes drugs worth Tk5.6cr in Cox's Bazar Sirajul was handed over to Teknaf Model Police Station, he added.

A massive fire broke out on a tourist ship that was docked for repairs at the Damdamia Ghat in Teknaf Sunday morning. Mukul Kumar Nath, station officer of Teknaf Fire Service and Civil Defense, said that due to the suspension of tourist ships on the Teknaf-Saint Martin route, two ships named 'Keari Sindbad' and 'KEARI Cruise and Dine' were anchored at Damdamia Ghat and undergoing repairs for a long time. The fire broke out at the 'KEARI Cruise and Dine' ship, quickly spreading throughout the ship.

Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) on Tuesday detained a suspected drug peddler and seized 84,000 yaba pills from Shahpori island and Keruntoli areas in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar. However, the identity of the detainee was not disclosed by the Coast Guard officials. Tipped-off, BCG Station at Teknaf conducted a special drive in Shahpori island area around 1:30am and detained the man along with 70,000 yaba pills, said a media release signed by Lt Commander Khandaker Munif Taqi, media officer of the BCG. Besides, another BCG team found a man roaming in  Kuruntoli area around 3am. Coast Guard members signaled the man to stop as his movements seemed suspicious. Sensing the presence of the Coast Guard men, the man dropped a bag and fled, it added. Later, 14,000 yaba pills were seized from the bag. The detainee and the seized yaba pills were handed over to Teknaf Model Police Station for further legal action, said the release.