Ahead of the upcoming national elections, a joint force led by the Bangladesh Army has carried out an operation in Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar against Rohingya refugees residing illegally outside designated camps. Local landlords found renting out houses to Rohingyas were fined during the operation.
The drive was conducted from early morning until noon on Sunday (8 February). During the operation, Rohingyas living outside the camps were detained and later relocated to their respective camps.
Executive Magistrate Manjur Bin Afnan of the district administration, who led the mobile court, said that landlords renting homes to Rohingyas were fined a total of Tk 157,000.
He said the joint force has remained active under army leadership to ensure a peaceful and orderly election environment. As part of this initiative, operations were conducted in Balukhali and surrounding areas of Ukhiya, targeting Rohingyas who had been living outside the camps without authorization.
According to the magistrate, the Rohingyas had been residing with their families for a long time without permission from or notification to camp authorities. Upon receiving information, the mobile court visited the locations, verified the situation, and sent them back to the camps through appropriate authorities.
The landlords involved were fined and warned against renting houses to Rohingyas in the future.
Earlier, similar joint operations were carried out in the Burma Colony area of Dohazari in Chattogram and nearby locations, where Rohingyas were detained and subsequently returned to the camps.
