The Bangladeshi authorities are considering building a barbed wire fence along the border with Burma to prevent Yaba smuggling and Rohingyas from illegally entering the country according to a local Bengali newspaper.
A Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) official said: “A barbed wire fence is necessary on the Bangladesh side to stop Yaba smuggling and Rohingyas from coming in. Though we have discussed our concerns regarding the influx of Rohingyas and yaba smuggling with the Burmese authorities it has all been in vain.”
The border between Bangladesh and Burma is 193 miles long and runs over land and water, 68 km of the border runs along the middle of the Naf River.
The Teknaf BGB seized 179,982 yaba tablets in 2011; 347,123 tablets in 2012; 998,087 tablets in 2013 and 2,345,962 tablets in 2014 up until 23rd December.
According to BGB sources in 2011 the BGB also returned 1,789 illegal Rohingya refugees to Burma, in 2012 they returned 3,937 refugees, in 2013 they returned 2,665 refugees and in 2014 they returned 3,125 refugees up until 23rd December.
From 2010 to 2014 the police also arrested and jailed 1,788 Rohingya refugees.
In 2013 Cox’s Bazar Police also arrested 1,088 Rohingyas who attempted to illegally obtain Bangladeshi passports. In 2014 they arrested 1,271 Rohingyas for the same offence.
