Aged 13, Zakaria escaped to Bangladesh with his neighbors to save his life. He already has lost his parents but has a sister. Where she is, he (Zakaria) doesn’t know. He said that the army has captured all the men from his village. Then the houses were set on fire. His father was also caught with the other men from his village. And when the house was set on fire, his mother was in the house.
Zakaria's house was in Sarwar Dighi area of Maungdaw. He could not tell exactly how long his house was set on fire. But it was on Friday to set on fire - only he remembers that.
Another seven-year-old Rohingya child is Malek Hossain. She has a sister aged eight years. Her name is Asmatara. They fled to Bangladesh with their grandmother Firoza Begum. There is no one alive in his family his sister and grandmother. The child told the Bangla Tribune, 'The military set fire to houses. All have burnt. Parents have died so I ran away.
Eight-year-old Jannat Ara has come to Bangladesh without parents. His house was located in Nayapara area of Maungdaw. She has an elder sister. She is currently staying with her aunt Rashida Begum. Jannat told the Bangla Tribune, 'The military had killed everyone to set fire in their house.'
Not only Zakaria, Malek or Jannat, but in the Rakhine state of Myanmar on August 24, when the country's military started repression and genocide, more than four lakh Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh to save lives. A large number of children were among them. At least 1,800 children have been registered in the last three days. They have no parents. Social Welfare Ministry is trying to unite these children.
Emraan Khan, supervisor of 'Myanmar National Orphan Child' project of Cox's Bazar district, told the Bangla Tribune, "I have been working with children who lost their parents from Myanmar. Although the word ‘Rohingya’ is used in the first program, it has now been instructed to remove it. So this project has been named Myanmar National Orphan Child. '
According to the Child Act, children aged 18 years are counted.
How this program is being conducted, Emran Khan said, “At first we are giving the importance to those children, who have lost both their parents. Next the children will get importance that has lost their father. After the surveys are listed, their smart card will be issued so they can get the benefits available. We will try to give them everything including education, health, nutrition, housing, psycho-social protection. We asked for 200 acres of land in Teknaf and Ukhia for the Rohingya people.’
An officer said, ‘Adolescent girls are given the most importance among these children. They are the most vulnerable.’
She further said, 'Girls are 12-18 years will be kept in one place and the rest will be graded in this way. Disabled children will be kept separate. He said that there is a plan to bring children to formal education.
Emran Khan said, ‘The Social Welfare Ministry is working with the children who lost their parents since Sep 23. People are still coming from Myanmar. The project of the Ministry of Social Welfare will continue till this last child comes.’