DHAKA: Bangladesh border guards have “pushed back” more than 160 Rohingya Muslims in recent days who were fleeing communal clashes in neighbouring Myanmar, a senior commander said on Tuesday.

At least 89 people have been killed and tens of thousands have fled their homes in a new wave of communal unrest sweeping Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, where violence between Muslim Rohingya and Buddhists in June left dozens killed.

Border Guard Bangladesh commander Mohammad Khalequzzaman said the refugees tried to cross the land border and enter Ukhia county, which borders Rakhine.

He said border guards have so far “pushed back more than 160 Rohingya, who crossed into Bangladesh through land borders since Oct 21”, when the latest wave of violence between Buddhists and Muslims erupted in Rakhine. The refugees included 27 Rohingya who attempted to enter Ukhia on Tuesday, before being turned away by Bangladesh border guards, he added. Khalequzzaman said the refugees arrived “in groups of six to 10 people in three phases. Nearly half of them were women and children”. “We have pushed them back this afternoon after giving them food. None of them were reported injured or sick,” he said.—AFP