Tortured Upon Returning to Myanmar, Rohingya Family Seeks Refuge Again in Bangladesh

Cox’s Bazar, MINA – A five member Rohingya family was forced to flee back to Bangladesh on Thursday, less than a month after their voluntary repatriation to Myanmar. The family accused the ruling Arakan Army separatist group of torture and extortion.

Mohammed Zubair, a resident of Camp 24 in Ukhiya, Bangladesh, and a cousin of the returning refugees, stated that his relatives came back to the Rohingya camps in Bangladesh after the Arakan Army raided their home in Maungdaw, Rakhine State, and demanded 50 million kyats, according to a report by the Arakan News Agency (ANA) on Monday.

Zubair added that the family had previously fled to Bangladesh about nine months ago, after being tortured and extorted while working on a business project in Maungdaw. On July 3, they decided to return to Myanmar.

He further explained that shortly after their return, the Arakan Army attacked their home again and assaulted other family members. The family then managed to escape and fled back to Bangladesh via the Naf River.

Also Read: UK to Recognize Palestine in September, Says PM Starmer

Bangladesh’s Commissioner for Refugee Relief and Repatriation, Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, confirmed the family’s return, stating, “I heard they came back after being tortured and extorted by the Arakan Army.”

Earlier, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had announced the return of 82 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar’s western Rakhine State last week, marking the first known instance of voluntary repatriation since the mass exodus in 2017. [Nia]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

Also Read: Australian PM Slams Israeli Claims of “No Famine in Gaza