Local residents at Cox’s Bazar are posing as Rohingyas to register into the database for access to the relief from various international organizations, it has been revealed.
At least 500 Bangladeshis have registered into the refugee database and are receiving the relief meant for the Rohingyas.
The Rohingya leaders made the arrangement for identification process for these Bangladeshis in exchange for cash.
Admitting the fact, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam said that the matter will be probed and the identification of the Bangladeshis pretending to be Rohingyas will be cancelled.
“Legal steps will be taken against them,” he said.
Bangla Tribune has found in its investigation that 13,000 rohingyas of 2,200 families live in Teknaf’s Shamlapur camp, which is different from other camps as local Bangladeshis and residents of this camp live in the same village— Nayapara Shilkhali. In ward no. 1 of this village lives the family of a Bangalee woman, who are well-off in the area. This woman has got herself into the Rohingya database of the World Food Organisation (WFO) by changing her name to Rahima from Senuara Begum. She has mentioned her husband’s name as Karim Ullah.
Not only that, she has named someone else’s children as her own. Those children also have two identification, one as Bangladeshi nationals, and another as a Rohingya refugee. Ten-year-old Ahmed has been named Redwan and 9-year-old Fatema Akter has been named Rehena Begum in the Rohingya identification cards.
When the woman’s real family learned the news, they informed the matter to concerned authorities.
They claim that Senuara Begum is one of over hundred Bangalee who have been posing as Rohingyas.
When confronted, Senuara claimed that she is a Rohingya and she somehow manages to survive with the relief she is given. She even showed the WFO card. When she was asked again if she really is from Myanmar, she refused to talk any further.
According to Senuara’s husband Abdul Haque, his wife is posing as a Rohingya to avail the relief meant for them.
Locals claim, some Rohingyas are also involved in the scam and they are helping these Bangalees in exchange of money.
Shamlapur Rohingya Camp leader Abul Kalam said, over fifty Bangladeshis have been posing as Rohingyas in the camp and he has informed the authorities about it.
“The actual number will be over two hundred, if the old rohingyas are counted” according to him.
Shamsul Alam, the Father of the children, who Senuara mentioned in the card as hers, said that Senuara took them against their will to have their names registered as her children.
“This is shameful. The camp incharge has been informed,” said Alam.
Another local resident alleged that her baby girl has been made to be enlisted as a Rohingya in a similar fashion.
Local representative Mohammad Yunus said, “I have heard the matter and the concerned authorities have been informed.”
Another camp Leda’s Rohingya leader Mohammad Rashid said, “There are over two hundred Rohingya posers, who live by the camp.”
“They use the identification cards to collect relief only to sell those outside,” he added.
Another woman, Semon Bahar, 44, has her Rohingya Identification Card as one Amina Khatun, 39.
In an attempt to explain her reasons, she said, “Eversince the Rohingyas came, we are having a hard time running the family as all croplands have gone to the refugees. That’s why I had no choice but to conceal my real identity and pose as a rohingya to collect reliefs.”
When asked Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Mohammad Rabiul Hasan said, “We have heard the matter. We will take steps after investigating it.”
Since August last year, over 700,000 Rohingyas have fled persecution in Myanmar and crossed the border into Bangladesh. This influx has taken the total number of Rohingyas sheltered on Bangladeshi soil to over 1.1 million.