Bangladesh Police Beat up Refugee Woman and Obstruct Her from Justice

Rohingya Refugee Camps in Bangladesh

Rohingya Today | December 19, 2018

Cox's Bazaar — Bangladesh policemen beat up a teenage woman in Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazaar and subsequently, obstructed justice being served to her.

Eighteen-year-old Salima Khatun was severely beaten up and injured by a sub-inspector of police and other five subordinates of his at 'Teng Hali' refugee camp 13 (block C, sub-block at C5) at around 11pm on December 12. The policemen broke into her hut in search of Jamil Ahmed (her father) who was absent, leading them to beat and abuse her instead.

As a result of that, her marriage fixed with a fellow refugee man in the camp also broke up as the relatives of the man engaged with her feared of repercussions by the Bangladesh authorities.

As such, the victim went to the Army Officer in charge of the security of the camps and lodged a complaint of the physical abuses. The army, subsequently, gave her a hearing date.

It has been reported that, as the abuser policeman came to know about the complaint, he sent Mujammil, the Head (Maazhi) of the camps who is also known as a sycophant to the police, to threaten and intimidate her. Then, she was taken to the police station and forced to sign on a paper/letter written in Bangala. The paper was not read out to her.

"On the day of Complaint Hearing by the Army Officer in charge, the policeman sent the letter to him (the Army Officer) through Mujammil, the Head (Maazhi) and sycophant. Only then, Salima Khatun, the victim, came to know that it was a letter of Settlement (Placation/Pacification) between her and the Policemen. Therefore, she returned to her camp crying, without getting justice," said Mohammed Karim (not real name), one of her fellow refugees in nearby camps.

She is now said to be severely suffering physically due to heavy injuries and psychologically due to her broken marriage.

About one million Rohingyas have fled Myanmar and been living in concentrated refugee camps in Bangladesh since the Myanmar military carried out Genocide in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

[Repored by Aadil Ahmed; Edited by M.S. Anwar]

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