Residents of unofficial Kutupalong camp complain of harassment

Monday, 13 December 2010

Ukhiya, Bangladesh: Security forces from the registered Kutupalong refugee camp have been harassing residents of a neighboring unregistered camp, according to one refugee committee member who declined to be named.

Residents of the unofficial camp, which is not recognized by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, say that security officers regularly visit the area to arrest them without cause, often charging them with simply visiting friends or family members outside the camp.

The refugee committee member said that one resident was arrested on December 10 for visiting a friend’s hut within the makeshift camp.

On the same day, security officers also arrested a man identified only as Shoffiullah, 65, along with two of his relatives who were visiting from Teknaf.

Another man, identified only as Yasin, 37, from the unofficial Kutupalong camp, was arrested and brought to a security outpost near the camp, said a fellow refugee, who added that police took 2,000 taka that was in Yasin’s possession at the time of his arrest.

Residents at the unofficial Kutupalong camp have accused a man identified only as Nuru, who they say is an unregistered and unlicensed doctor, of spying on refugees while pretending to administer medical treatment to residents and passing information about them to security and police officers.

When camp committee members sought to block Nuru from entering the camp, Nuru threatened to have the police intervene, they said.

Source: Kaladan Press Network.
Link: http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2947:residents-of-unofficial-kutupalong-camp-complain-of-harassment.