COX’S BAZAR: The bodies of 34 Rohingya refugees, who fled Myanmar only to drown when their overcrowded boat sank while crossing a river to Bangladesh, have been recovered, a top local government official said on Thursday.

Other refugees fleeing the bitter conflict described grim scenes of “bloodshed” as thousands tried to escape. The boat sank on Tuesday, when the bodies of 10 people — including young children — were initially recovered. But more have since washed ashore, taking the total killed to 34.

Police said the group had fled their villages in Myanmar’s Rakhine state and their small craft sank in the Naf River, near Bangladesh’s Shahpari Island.

Adnan Chowdhury, the government administrator of Bangladesh’s Teknaf border town, said the boat was carrying Rohingya from Myanmar. Local councillor Abdus Salam said the bodies were being buried.

A number of people fled their villages in Rakhine state and their small craft sank in Naf river

“The Rohingya people were fleeing with their lives from Myanmar,” he said. At least 1,000 Rohingya have fled the war in Myanmar’s Rakhine state to Bangladesh in the past few weeks, Chowdhury said.

Clashes have rocked Rakhine since the Arakan Army (AA) attacked junta forces in November, ending a ceasefire that had largely held since a military coup in 2021.

Abdul Kalam, 35, a Rohingya refugee, arrived on a different boat on Wednesday after fleeing the Rakhine town of Maungdaw and said thousands were trying to escape. “Arakan Army were killing us… they want to kick us out of Rakhine,” he said. “I saw much bloodshed. They are killing Rohingya.”

Chowdhury said the recovery of the bodies had been delayed by unrest in Bangladesh after weeks of student-led protests ousted the prime minister. “We could not send our security officers to the accident spot, as they were busy containing political clashes,” Chowdhury said.

‘Pressuring the young’

Since May, armed Rohingya nationalist groups have been holding community meetings throughout the 33-camp refugee settlement in Bangladesh, intensifying efforts to recruit young Rohingya males for military service in Myanmar, targeting boys as young as 14.

“The situation deteriorates by the day,” said Mahmudul, a Rohingya humanitarian worker. “The gang conducts arrests around the clock, targeting anyone, particularly volunteer workers from our community, such as teachers and humanitarian aid workers. They have been organising meetings in every camp for this purpose,” he said.

Over 500 Rohingya refugees have reportedly been pressured by armed groups to join the ongoing war in Myanmar, according to Radio Free Asia, a regional news service.

Nearly 1 million people live in the Cox’s Bazar camps, according to the United Nations.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2024