A four-day International Fleet Review-2022 with participation of Navies and Maritime Organisations from 28 countries including Bangladesh will begin at Inani of Cox’s Bazar  on Tuesday. Bangladesh Navy is organising the IFR on the occasion of birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of independence of the country. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to formally inaugurate the IFR 2022 on Wednesday and review the fleet as chief guest. Read more: PM inaugurates, lays foundation stones of 35 projects in Chattogram It will be the first ever IFR in the country with participation of so many countries  including the USA, UK, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, India, China, Korea, Indonesia, Turkey and the Netherlands. According to the Navy website, the IFR 2022 will serve as an ideal platform for world’s Navies to showcase their prowess, naval diplomacy, goodwill and cooperation in the international arena.  The Navy headquarters expect that the International Fleet Review will be a great opportunity for Bangladesh in general and Bangladesh Navy in particular to interact with world Navies in Bangladeshi waters, promote tourism and infrastructure development in the coastal areas of the country.  Read more: Newly commissioned officers should be ‘soldiers of 2041’, building Bangladesh: PM at BMA The broad schedule of the events includes Inauguration followed by a Beach Parade, glimpses of Special Force’s activities at sea and Fleet Review.  Cultural events participated by foreign participants and International Food Festival will also be there to showcase the diverse culture and rich traditions of Bangladesh and the participating countries.

A Rohingya man was shot dead by some unidentified miscreants at Teknaf upazila in Cox’s Bazar on Monday night. The deceased was identified as Mohammad Salam, 26, from Musni refugee camp in Teknaf, said Abdul Halim, Officer-in-Charge of Teknaf police station. Read more: Rohingya leaders shot dead in Cox’s Bazar Three unidentified men took wounded Salam to Kutopalong Hospital at Ukhiya where doctors announced him dead on arrival, said the OC. The men who took Salam to the hospital fled the hospital, he said. Salam was sued in two cases for drug peddling and murder, said the OC.  

The fishing community of Cox’s Bazar is very happy with business catching Hilsa in swarms. Fishing trawlers are returning to the shore full of Hilsa and other fish, bringing down the prices to a tolerable level. Once deserted fish warehouses and markets of the district are now buzzing with fishermen, traders, and buyers from morning to night. Visiting Cox’s Bazar Fisheries Landing Station, UNB found the place in a celebratory mood. After the onslaught of Cyclone Sitrang and a 22-day ban on Hilsa catching, hundreds of fishing trawlers are arriving at the station with tons of Hilsa every day. Read More: With Hilsa catch declining, Bagerhat fishermen stare at penury No one seems to have time for doing anything else at the landing station. Some were loading the fish into warehouses, some were breaking ice while others were arranging the fishes in baskets. Many traders were also seen sending truckloads of Hilsa consignments to different parts of the country after getting expected prices.

The security situation in the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar keeps going from bad to worse. Last week, three more prominent members of the displaced refugees were killed within three days inside the camps by unknown assailants. The method and targeting behind the killings suggest the involvement of a militant group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, or ARSA. Two of them acted as the head majhi and subhead majhi of one camp, while the other was known to be vocal against the ARSA. Just the previous week, yet another prominent leader of one of the camps was shot, but survived. Read: No good news yet from Chinese side on Rohingya repatriation: Momen Including the latest killing, 14 people have been killed inside the camps during the last four months, of whom eight were serving in voluntary community leadership roles such as ‘majhi’ and ‘head majhi’. After a lull that followed a security clampdown prompted by the killings of prominent Rohingya leader Mohibullah in September 2021, it would seem the destabilising forces have become newly emboldened to carry out their activities. This obviously doesn’t bode well for Bangladesh as it looks to start the process of repatriating the hapless refugees back to Myanmar, for which Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen met with Chinese Ambassador Li Jiming this week. Four years ago, Bangladesh and Myanmar signed an agreement for starting repatriation of the Rohingya refugees to Myanmar under a tripartite mechanism brokered by China, but the process remains stalled. Unfortunately, it couldn’t quite be described as a fruitful meeting, as the foreign minister was only able to come away with reiteration of some previous commitments. The current Myanmar government honours all the previous agreements signed between Dhaka and Naypyidaw and expressed willingness to take back the Rohingyas ‘after verification’, Momen told reporters following the meeting. Given that is the case, the deteriorating security situation in the camps is likely to be seized upon by the Myanmar government as a reason to keep stalling. The foreign minister also noted that no prospective date was discussed as the starting point for repatriation, which in any case is expected to be a long, drawn-out process once it starts. Read: Another Rohingya stabbed to death inside Cox’s Bazar camp With no sign of repatriation combined with a lack of economic opportunities and the difficulty in maintaining law and order in overcrowded camps, frustrated Rohingya are increasingly becoming involved in criminal activities or being targeted by criminal groups. They are also taking part in trans-border crime, including human trafficking, extremism, and arms smuggling and the camps can be a potential base for extremist activities and the insecurity in the camps and border could create insecurity for South Asia. Though Bangladesh has taken several measures to ensure the security of these displaced people, it is tough to maintain law and order in the densely populated camps near the border. Therefore, the safe, sustainable, and dignified return of these displaced people is the only solution. Rohingya refugees have also expressed their desire to go home. Not just Bangladesh and Myanmar, but rather the international community, should act together to facilitate Rohingya repatriation to ensure the security of the displaced population as well as the region before it’s too late.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.