Authority destroyed unregistered refugee camp at KutupalongWritten by Webmaster    KALADAN PRESSThursday, 18 June 2009 20:50

The refugee camp was established in 2008 when Bangladesh started to enlist her citizens for voting list. The Rohingya refugees who had live with local people in the border area before they join the camp. 

One view of refugee camp before destroyed  

Another view side of refugee camp before destroyed 

 Another view of refugee camp before destroyed

 

 Western side of official camp which the refugee lived

 

 At raining season, the view of refugee camp

 The refugees who live here struggle for their survival as hard labourers, fishermen, farmers, etc..

But, they said they enjoyed as they had huts to sleep under and to keep their families safe. But, on June 15, the Bangladesh authorities (Police, Ansar, forest department and Camp-in-charge of official

camp) destroyed this place making the refugees homeless for that time. The authorities destroyed more than 500 houses of refugee which were situated near the official camp.

According to an official source, the removing of huts from near the official camp was issued before, but the refugees were not shifted. So, the authorities had to take action and told them to stay 100 feet

from the official camp. 

 The destroyed huts near official camp of eastern side

 

 Sothern side of camp view, the area of destroyed huts

 

 The view of the destroyed area at the southern official camp

 

 Destroyed area from south-west side

 

Old refugee huts are seen from 100ft of official camp  

Old refugee huts are seen from 100ft of official camp  

Newly built huts after being relocated near the forest 

 Women build their huts if no man in the family

 

 New built refugee huts

 Kutupalong, Bangladesh: Rohingya refugees living in the unregistered refugee camp in Kutupalong under Ukiya police station, near the Bangladesh-Burma border, are at risk, said Meah, a member of the refugee committee. 

Authority destroyed the refugee's huts near official camp

“On June 16, 2009, we were not able to sleep at night as some local goons entered the camp where we had built new huts near the forest after demolition of our huts near the UNHCR official camp by

the authorities. The goons tried to rob and attempted to rape the refugee women,” Meah told Kaladan News.

 “All the adult men folk are guarding and protecting the camp. The new place is close to the forest

where local goons can easily disappear,” he said. 

The camp was destroyed by local authorities, the official camp-in-charge, police, Ansar (Reserved Police) and forest department officials on June 17. The refugees were unable to change the location

where the authorities wanted to as it is much closer to the forest. There, the refugees would have been told by locals not to build their huts. There is no official order to setup the camp. It was just said by word of mouth not a written one, said Mohamed Hussain, an elder from the refugee camp.

 The old refugee's huts after being destroyed within 100 ft

According to an official source, the removing of huts from near the official camp was issued before, but the refugees were not shifted. So, the authorities had to take action and told them to stay 100 feet from the official camp. Some huts were destroyed by police and Ansar, the sources said.

Newly building huts in news place

“They (authorities) destroyed our huts and cut the wood pillar like pieces of fire wood. It is not useful for us. We are unable to go to the forest as the forest department has banned us from cutting firewood. We are facing difficulties in building new huts to find wood or to buy as we have no food or money,” said Kamal, a refugee with three children. 

the women are building their home if no men in the family

We need to build the hut quickly as the monsoon is near and to keep our children in a safe place from the rains, he added.

 “What we need is security.  How long will our brothers, sons and fathers keep us safe?” asked Sarah Khatoon. 

the situation of refugee camp in raining season

The new place has no water facilities as before, where we had used the tube wall of the official camp, and their bathroom and restroom, she added.

SOURCED: KALADAN PRESS – Link to photo article:

http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2016:photo-news-authority-destroy-the-unregistered-refugee-camp-of-kutupalong-&catid=104:june-2009&Itemid=2

http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=104%3Ajune-2009&id=2015%3Arefugees-in-kutupalong-insecure&Itemid=2