A six-member delegation, including the UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia Pacific, Kanni Vignarazar, visited the Rohingya camp at Ukhiya in Cox's Bazar on Monday (September 11, 2023). During this visit, they observed various activities of the donor organisation. Also read: UN Assistant Secretary-General's visit to Bangladesh set for September 9 The delegation reached Block-L/17 of Rohingya Camp-18 in Ukhiya around 10:00 am on Monday. Later, they visited the Rohingya Cultural Memory Centre at IMO. During the visit, an IMO official presented the delegation with details by displaying various items bearing testimony to the history and heritage of the Rohingyas preserved inside the Rohingya Cultural Memory Centre. A group of Rohingya artists played musical instruments for the delegation and sang a Rohingya anthem (Tarana). They then visited the Model Village under the UNCR-NGO Forum and BRAC Dhara-run pilot project located in Camp 17 H/71 block and visited the ISO SET bio-diversity nurseries. During this time, BRAC officials briefed them on how waste material is paid for in the project. Also read: UNDP facilitates dialogues among parliamentarians on gender-based hate speech and Bangladesh Delta Plan Later, NGO officials gave a detailed briefing to the delegation on how the Rohingyas collect rations through smart cards. Later, they paid a courtesy call on the CIC at the CIC office of Camp-4 Extension. US Assistant Secretary-General Kanni Vignarazar spoke to some of the Rohingyas who came to WFP’s e-voucher shop and inquired about them. Later, the six-member delegation returned to Cox's Bazar around 3:00 pm. Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mizanur Rahman and Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Shaheen Imran were present during the visit. Also read: Sweden, UNDP continue to work on climate adaptation in Bangladesh "During this time, the delegation observed various activities of the donor organisation. Later, they spoke to some Rohingyas who had come to the WFP’s e-voucher shop for some time," said Mizanur.

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) today (January 23, 2023) arrested two suspected members of new militant group 'Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya' after a gunfight at Kutupalong Rohingya camp in Ukhia upazila of Cox's Bazar. The arrestees were identified as Ronobir, a Shura member and head of the armed wing of the militant group, and his associate Bashar, a bomb-making expert. Read more: 12 militants, 14 KNF members arrested so far in anti-militancy drive in Bandarban: RAB A team of Rab-15 conducted a drive in Kutupalong Rohingya camp this morning, said ASP Abu Salam Chowdhury from Cox's Bazar Rab-15. Sensing the presence of law enforcers, the militants opened fire on them, forcing the Rab personnel to fire back, he added. Rab arrested the duo along with arms and explosives from a den in the camp following the gunfight. Details will be revealed at a press briefing at Ukhiya Rohingya camp area, the officer said. Read more: 3 ‘members of new militant outfit’ held with arms, explosives in Bandarban

Members of Armed Police Battalion (APBn) on Sunday arrested two suspected Rohingya criminals from Kutupalong camp area of Ukhia in Cox's Bazar district. The law enforcers also recovered one local made pistol, one 24-inch ramda (local variation on cleaver) and 495 pieces contraband yaba pills from their possession. Based on secret information, a team of Kutupalong camp under the ApBn-14 battalion arrested the two armed Rohingya at around 5:30 pm, says Additional SP Mohammad Ziaul Haque of Airport Armed Police (AAP) here on Sunday evening. The arrestees were identified according to a message received here  In connection with the arrest of two armed Rohingya terrorists with a domestic pistol, a 24-inch Ramada and 495 pieces of Yaba tablets based on intelligence information. One country made pistol, a 24 inch Ramda and 495 pieces of yaba tablets were recovered from their possessions. They were secretly conducting drug activities in the camp area, including conducting terrorist activities. A case is being filed in this regard with local police station, he said. However, names of the two arrested armed Rohinghya nationals were not being disclosed immediately.  Also read: Rohingya man held with 1.06kg crystal meth in Cox’s Bazar

Police have arrested 136 Rohingyas who were trying to escape from Ukhia’s refugee camps on Monday. They were all prepared to escape from camps through the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf road, police said. Ukhia Police officer-in-charge Ahmed Sanjur Morshed said  the 136 Rohingyas were held during a search drive in Ukhia on the eve of their departure from the camp. They were later transferred to Kutupalong transit camp. READ: 1,544 more Rohingyas leave for Bhasan Char Palangkhali Union Parishad chairman M Gafur Uddin Chowdhury said as the army checkposts on the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf road were lifted thousands of Rohingyas were leaving the camps every day and spreading across the country. According to sources, since August 2017, there used to be four army checkposts on the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf road. As the checkpoints were lifted recently, Rohingyas are leaving the camp fearlessly.

A child was killed and 570 houses were burnt in a fire that broke out at two Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar’s  Ukhia on Tuesday. The deceased was  three-year-old Md. Ayaz. After hours of effort, four fire service units of Ukhia and Cox’s Bazar  brought the fire under control, said Additional Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission Samsuddoza Nayan. He said that 570 houses were burnt at block- D of Kutupalong No. 5 Enani hill camp. READ: Fire breaks out at 2 Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar Mohammad Imdadul Haque, station officer of Ukhia Fire Service and Civil Defense said that the fire was brought under control at around 7 pm. The fire was reported to have originated from a gas stove, he said. However, locals claim that local and foreign NGOs have roles behind the repeated incidents of fire in the Rohingya camps. The fire broke out at No 5 camp at Kutupalong  and soon engulfed the adjoining No 6 camp earlier this afternoon.

Five Rohingyas were arrested Sunday with arms and drugs during a joint operation by the Armed Police Battalion (APBN) and Ukhia Police in Cox's Bazar’s Ukhia  Rohingya camp. The arrestees were listed criminal Nur Kalam, under-warranted accused Fayez and Md Abul Kalam; Osman and Akter Hossain. Read: 6 Rohingyas held from refugee camps Md Naimul Haque, 14-APBN captain said APBN and Ukhia police conducted a joint operation around 3:30 pm on Sunday. During the operation, five Rohingyas were arrested and a locally made shooter-gun, one round of ammunition and 122 pieces of yaba were seized from them. Read: 11 Rohingyas held in Panchagarh According to APBn sources, the arrestees were involved in various crimes including intimidation, extortion and kidnapping of ordinary Rohingyas in the camp area.