Over one million Rohingyas get biometric registration
By Tarek Mahmud
January 18, 2018
The Press Information Department of Chittagong confirmed the numbers in a press release
A total 1,010,714 Rohingyas have registered their biometric data with the Bangladeshi government since September 12, 2017.
The Press Information Department of Chittagong confirmed the numbers in a press release adding that the numbers were collected from 12 Rohingya camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf upazilas.
According to Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission (RRRC), the last count of Rohingya refugees till Wednesday was 673,430.
“This kind of registration will help in the repatriation process of the displaced Rohingyas,” said Department of Immigration and Passport’s Director General Major General Md Masud Rezwan.
“About 12,000 to 13,000 Rohingya are being registered every day at seven biometric registration centres in Ukhiya and Teknaf. If this pace continues then we will be able to register all the Rohingyas in a month,” he added.
DIP’s Technical Engineer Squadron Leader Md Arefin Ahmed said this biometric database will also help in the relief distribution process, adding that they have registered all 10 fingerprints.
“This will also ensure that the Rohingyas will not be able to assume Bangladeshi identities and apply for NIDs, passports or make a bank account,” he said.
Rajib Chowdhury, deputy general manager of Tiger IT, the company that is providing technical support in the project said not only will biometric registration help in the repatriation process but by following Germany’s example of registering Syrian refugees, we will also be able to locate the Rohingyas’ movement all over Bangladesh.
