At least 750 Rohingya crossed into Bangladesh over the past month, according to the army, which also reported extensive security operations to curb crime, arms trafficking and drug smuggling in and around refugee camps.

Colonel Md Shafiqul Islam of the Military Operations Directorate disclosed the figures on Monday (September 8) during a press briefing at the Officers’ Mess in Dhaka Cantonment. 

He said the new arrivals have taken shelter in various camps designated for forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals (FDMNs).

Over the past month, security forces seized more than 9,12,000 yaba pills, one kilogram of crystal meth, and contraband including cigarettes, clothing, food items and cosmetics worth Tk 17 lakh. 

Joint operations in and around the Rohingya camps also led to the recovery of nine firearms, 529 rounds of ammunition and other military equipment.

Separately, the army itself recovered 65 illegal weapons and 297 rounds of ammunition in the same period. Since August last year, troops have confiscated 9,794 of an estimated 12,119 missing firearms, and 2,87,359 rounds out of 3,90,000 lost rounds of ammunition.

Shafiqul Islam said 17,926 people linked to various crimes have been detained since August last year, including 1,294 suspects arrested in the past month alone. Those held include gang members, listed criminals, robbers and extortionists.

Referring to recent clashes in Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area between Gana Adhikar Parishad and Jatiya Party supporters, he said police initially struggled to contain the unrest before calling in the army. Troops attempted to calm demonstrators but came under attack when protesters resumed violence with torches, sticks and brickbats. Five army personnel and six police officers were injured, and an army pickup truck was damaged before the situation was brought under control later that night.

The army has also intensified its anti-narcotics drive. In the past month alone, raids in Dhaka’s Khilgaon, Kafrul, Kalabagan and Nakhalpara areas, as well as in Jessore, Munshiganj, Gazipur, Habiganj and Mymensingh, led to the arrest of 378 suspected traffickers. Since August last year, 5,954 individuals have been detained for drug-related offences.

Anti-smuggling operations in Sylhet and Sunamganj in August seized goods worth Tk 2.19 crore. In the Chittagong Hill Tracts, eight intelligence-driven raids over the past month recovered 18 firearms, 61 rounds of ammunition, drugs, and other equipment.

Thirty-seven suspects were detained in those operations, including members of the JSS (Main), UPDF (Main), and MLP groups, as well as drug dealers, human traffickers and others involved in criminal activity. On August 15, an operation in Shantinagar under Khagrachhari region seized eight firearms and 44 rounds of ammunition from MLP operatives.

Between July 25 and August 26, the army also conducted a month-long special operation in remote areas of Ruma in Bandarban district, where it destroyed a fortified training camp belonging to the KNA and seized military gear used for training purposes.

SMS/