Two Rohingya refugees were killed in a gun battle with Bangladeshi border guards as they tried to cross into Bangladesh from Myanmar on Friday, officials said.

More than 730,000 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-to-fence-rohingya-camps-in-further-crackdown-252243/amp">Rohingya</a> refugees live in Bangladesh, having fled persecution in neighbouring Myanmar where security forces are accused of carrying out killings, gang rape and arson in a crackdown after attacks on police posts by Rohingya insurgents in&nbsp;August 2017.

Bangladesh is hosting refugees in cramped conditions in camps in the border district of Cox's Bazar, but wants to move them to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal, citing monsoons and an increasingly deteriorating law and order situation fueled by drug smuggling.

Mohammad Faisal Hasan Khan, the commanding officer of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in the Teknaf sub-district of Cox's Bazar, said that in early hours on Friday a group of Rohingya were crossing a river on the border by boat when border guards challenged them and asked them to surrender.

"But instead of surrendering they responded with firearms," Hasan said.

"When attack and counter-attack stopped the BGB members went to the spot and found two Rohingya laid down on the ground with bullet (wounds)," he told Reuters.

They were pronounced dead on arrival at a local hospital. The BGB said it recovered 70,000 methamphetamine tablets, known locally as Yaba, along with a rifle and bullets, from the bodies.

Iqbal Hossain, additional police superintendent in the Cox's Bazar district, said that 44 Rohingya have been killed in gunfights with law enforcement agencies from January to date.

"All of them were engaged with drug peddling, robbery, human trafficking, and arms trade," Hossain told Reuters.

"In recent months a section of Rohingya are getting involved in crimes and out of them some were killed in gunfights with law enforcement agencies."

Prodeep Kumar Das, officer in charge of Teknaf police station, told Reuters that several police officers have been injured in gun battles with refugees.

Rohingya rights groups say they want the killings investigated.

"We don't support any criminal activities, but we cannot accept such killing. We demand thorough investigations of all such killings," said Syed Ullah, general secretary of Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights of Kutupalong camp in Teknaf.

"Rohingyas can not do it without the support and help from local people."

Two Rohingya refugees were killed in a gun battle with Bangladeshi border guards as they tried to cross into Bangladesh from Myanmar on Friday, officials said. More than 730,000 Rohingya refugees live in Bangladesh, having fled persecution in neighbouring Myanmar where security forces are accused of carrying out killings, gang rape and arson in a crackdown after attacks on police posts by Rohingya insurgents in August 2017.

Two Rohingya refugees were killed in a gun battle with Bangladeshi border guards as they tried to cross into Bangladesh from Myanmar on Friday, officials said. More than 730,000 Rohingya refugees live in Bangladesh, having fled persecution in neighbouring Myanmar where security forces are accused of carrying out killings, gang rape and arson in a crackdown after attacks on police posts by Rohingya insurgents in August 2017. Bangladesh is hosting refugees in cramped conditions in camps in the border district of Cox's Bazar, but wants to move them to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal, citing monsoons and an increasingly deteriorating law and order situation fueled by drug smuggling. Mohammad Faisal Hasan Khan, the commanding officer of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in the Teknaf sub-district of Cox's Bazar, said that in early hours on Friday a group of Rohingya were crossing a river on the border by boat when border guards challenged them and asked them to surrender. "But instead of surrendering they responded with firearms," Hasan said. "When attack and counter-attack stopped the BGB members went to the spot and found two Rohingya laid down on the ground with bullet (wounds)," he told Reuters. They were pronounced dead on arrival at a local hospital. The BGB said it recovered 70,000 methamphetamine tablets, known locally as Yaba, along with a rifle and bullets, from the bodies. Iqbal Hossain, additional police superintendent in the Cox's Bazar district, said that 44 Rohingya have been killed in gunfights with law enforcement agencies from January to date. "All of them were engaged with drug peddling, robbery, human trafficking, and arms trade," Hossain told Reuters. "In recent months a section of Rohingya are getting involved in crimes and out of them some were killed in gunfights with law enforcement agencies." Prodeep Kumar Das, officer in charge of Teknaf police station, told Reuters that several police officers have been injured in gun battles with refugees. Rohingya rights groups say they want the killings investigated. "We don't support any criminal activities, but we cannot accept such killing. We demand thorough investigations of all such killings," said Syed Ullah, general secretary of Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights of Kutupalong camp in Teknaf. "Rohingyas can not do it without the support and help from local people."

Two Rohingya killed in gun battle with Bangladesh border guards

Bangladesh is set to erect barbed-wire fencing, guard towers and cameras around Rohingya camps, the home minister said Thursday citing security concerns, in a move critics said would turn the refugee settlements into prisons.

Dhaka has been growing frustrated with the Rohingya in Bangladesh who number nearly a million since the collapse of a recent repatriation attempt to encourage them to return home to Myanmar.

The stateless Muslim minority live in large camps in southeastern border towns, with the majority having fled Myanmar's Rakhine state in August 2017 after a military crackdown.

"There are three large camps. We'll fence the three camps with barbed wires," Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters Wednesday.

"Watchtowers and CCTV cameras" would also be set up to monitor activity in the Cox's Bazar district settlements, he added.

A rights activist, who asked to remain anonymous, condemned the move and said the fencing would "transform the camps into a big prison".

Refugees are already forbidden to leave the squalid camps, although their sprawling nature means authorities have been unable to police the Rohingya's movements.

Checkpoints set up on the main highways leading to the camps have stopped Rohingya and sent them back to the settlements when they try to travel to other parts of Bangladesh.

Hundreds of Rohingya found elsewhere in the South Asian nation have also been detained and returned to the camps.

Dhaka has been tightening the screws on the Rohingya amid rising impatience with their presence in the country, enacting several measures to restrict their activities in recent weeks.

These include blocking 3G and 4G mobile networks, confiscating SIM cards and mobile phones, and filing cases against hundreds of refugees for illegally obtaining citizenship cards.

Authorities say the internet ban was sparked by security fears after the Rohingya were blamed for murders and drug smuggling.

But the refugees fear they are being punished for refusing to move back to Rakhine unless their safety is guaranteed and they are given citizenship status in Myanmar.

UN experts have expressed "serious concerns" about the restrictions.

Bangladesh is set to erect barbed-wire fencing, guard towers and cameras around Rohingya camps, the home minister said Thursday citing security concerns, in a move critics said would turn the refugee settlements into prisons.

Bangladesh is set to erect barbed-wire fencing, guard towers and cameras around Rohingya camps, the home minister said Thursday citing security concerns, in a move critics said would turn the refugee settlements into prisons. Dhaka has been growing frustrated with the Rohingya in Bangladesh who number nearly a million since the collapse of a recent repatriation attempt to encourage them to return home to Myanmar. The stateless Muslim minority live in large camps in southeastern border towns, with the majority having fled Myanmar's Rakhine state in August 2017 after a military crackdown. "There are three large camps. We'll fence the three camps with barbed wires," Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters Wednesday. "Watchtowers and CCTV cameras" would also be set up to monitor activity in the Cox's Bazar district settlements, he added. A rights activist, who asked to remain anonymous, condemned the move and said the fencing would "transform the camps into a big prison". Refugees are already forbidden to leave the squalid camps, although their sprawling nature means authorities have been unable to police the Rohingya's movements. Checkpoints set up on the main highways leading to the camps have stopped Rohingya and sent them back to the settlements when they try to travel to other parts of Bangladesh. Hundreds of Rohingya found elsewhere in the South Asian nation have also been detained and returned to the camps. Dhaka has been tightening the screws on the Rohingya amid rising impatience with their presence in the country, enacting several measures to restrict their activities in recent weeks. These include blocking 3G and 4G mobile networks, confiscating SIM cards and mobile phones, and filing cases against hundreds of refugees for illegally obtaining citizenship cards. Authorities say the internet ban was sparked by security fears after the Rohingya were blamed for murders and drug smuggling. But the refugees fear they are being punished for refusing to move back to Rakhine unless their safety is guaranteed and they are given citizenship status in Myanmar. UN experts have expressed "serious concerns" about the restrictions.

Bangladesh to fence Rohingya camps in further crackdown

Bangladesh Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sheikh-hasina-expects-positive-response-from-india-over-unresolved-issues-including-teesta-249183">Sheikh Hasina</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday said that Mahatma Gandhi's love for common people and ideals of non-violence contributed to shaping Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's vision of struggle and peaceful movement against oppression by the then Pakistani rulers against peace-loving Bengalis during the country's freedom struggle in 1971.

"Gandhi Ji's love for common people and ideals of non-violence contributed to shaping Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib's vision of struggle, non-cooperation and peaceful movement against oppression and tyranny by the then Pakistani rulers against the peace-loving Bengalis," she said at the 'Relevance of Mahatma Gandhi in the Contemporary World'&nbsp;programme at UN headquarters here.

"He (Sheikh Mujib), however, declared the independence of Bangladesh on March 26, 1971, and called for armed struggle against the Pakistani military dictators when they unleashed an unprecedented genocide against the unarmed civilians in Bangladesh," she remarked.

Hasina described Mahatma Gandhi as a true patriot, statesman and a saint and dedicated his life for humankind.

"He was a beacon of hope and light in darkness and saviour in despair. His brilliant and mesmerising leadership showed the world that an individual could bring social and political change in a non-violent way," she said.

Hasina said that Mahatma Gandhi believed in people's power and his ideals of diversity are celebrated all over the world wherever democracy is practised.

"Gandhi Ji believed in people's power, which rests on individuals and who are their own masters. His principles of tolerance, non-violence and harmonious co-existence continue to guide us as we seek to build nations. His ideals of diversity are cherished and celebrated all over the globe wherever democracy is practised," she underlined.

India hosted the event at the UN to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of the Mahatma, which underlined the continuing relevance of Gandhian thoughts and values in today's world.

World leaders including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and South Korean President Moon-Jae-in were also present at the occasion in New York.

They inaugurated a 50 kilowatt 'Gandhi Solar Park'&nbsp;and unveiled a special commemorative stamp to mark the occasion.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said that Mahatma Gandhi's love for common people and ideals of non-violence contributed to shaping Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's vision of struggle and peaceful movement against oppression by the then Pakistani rulers against peace-loving Bengalis during the country's freedom struggle in 1971.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said that Mahatma Gandhi's love for common people and ideals of non-violence contributed to shaping Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's vision of struggle and peaceful movement against oppression by the then Pakistani rulers against peace-loving Bengalis during the country's freedom struggle in 1971. "Gandhi Ji's love for common people and ideals of non-violence contributed to shaping Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib's vision of struggle, non-cooperation and peaceful movement against oppression and tyranny by the then Pakistani rulers against the peace-loving Bengalis," she said at the 'Relevance of Mahatma Gandhi in the Contemporary World' programme at UN headquarters here. "He (Sheikh Mujib), however, declared the independence of Bangladesh on March 26, 1971, and called for armed struggle against the Pakistani military dictators when they unleashed an unprecedented genocide against the unarmed civilians in Bangladesh," she remarked. Hasina described Mahatma Gandhi as a true patriot, statesman and a saint and dedicated his life for humankind. "He was a beacon of hope and light in darkness and saviour in despair. His brilliant and mesmerising leadership showed the world that an individual could bring social and political change in a non-violent way," she said. Hasina said that Mahatma Gandhi believed in people's power and his ideals of diversity are celebrated all over the world wherever democracy is practised. "Gandhi Ji believed in people's power, which rests on individuals and who are their own masters. His principles of tolerance, non-violence and harmonious co-existence continue to guide us as we seek to build nations. His ideals of diversity are cherished and celebrated all over the globe wherever democracy is practised," she underlined. India hosted the event at the UN to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of the Mahatma, which underlined the continuing relevance of Gandhian thoughts and values in today's world. World leaders including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and South Korean President Moon-Jae-in were also present at the occasion in New York. They inaugurated a 50 kilowatt 'Gandhi Solar Park' and unveiled a special commemorative stamp to mark the occasion.

Gandhi's non-violence contributed to shaping Bangabandhu's vision of struggle against Pakistan: Hasina

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/we-are-scared-deadly-dengue-outbreak-overwhelms-bangladesh-241461">dengue death toll</a>&nbsp;has increased from 68 to 75 in Bangladesh, said Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Monday.

Adding that the number of patients currently undergoing treatment in government and private hospitals in the country was 2,018, DGHS also stated that a total of 461 dengue patients have been admitted to different hospitals across Bangladesh in the last 24 hours.

According to data, as many as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-faces-worst-ever-dengue-fever-outbreak-239918">75 people have died</a> across the country from January 1 till September 23. However, the unofficial death toll is reported to be at least 162 so far, reported Dhaka Tribune.

While 861 patients were currently receiving treatment in 41 government and private hospitals in Dhaka, over 1,157 people were undergoing treatment outside Dhaka, the DGHS said in a press release.

Since <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/around-3931-patients-undergoing-treatment-as-dengue-wreaks-havoc-in-bangladesh-247190">January this year</a>, as many as 85,288 people have been affected by dengue in the country.

Among the admitted, a total of 83,046 have been released from their respective hospitals and clinics after treatment.

The dengue death toll has increased from 68 to 75 in Bangladesh, said Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Monday.

The dengue death toll has increased from 68 to 75 in Bangladesh, said Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Monday. Adding that the number of patients currently undergoing treatment in government and private hospitals in the country was 2,018, DGHS also stated that a total of 461 dengue patients have been admitted to different hospitals across Bangladesh in the last 24 hours. According to data, as many as 75 people have died across the country from January 1 till September 23. However, the unofficial death toll is reported to be at least 162 so far, reported Dhaka Tribune. While 861 patients were currently receiving treatment in 41 government and private hospitals in Dhaka, over 1,157 people were undergoing treatment outside Dhaka, the DGHS said in a press release. Since January this year, as many as 85,288 people have been affected by dengue in the country. Among the admitted, a total of 83,046 have been released from their respective hospitals and clinics after treatment.

Bangladesh struggles to contain dengue outbreak, death toll climbs to 75

Poor, rural Bangladeshis are spending far more than the government and aid agencies to combat the impacts of climate change, diverting what little money they have away from basic needs, a study said Thursday.

Bangladesh -- a densely populated and impoverished low-lying nation of 168 million people -- is among the most vulnerable to global warming with rising sea levels threatening coastal villages.

In a study billed as the first of its kind in comparing household spending to public financing, researchers found rural families were shelling out an average $2 billion a year to address the impacts of climate change.

In contrast, Dhaka's budget for climate change in rural areas for 2018-19 was $1.46 billion, while international financing was an estimated $154 million annually, the report by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) found.

The report was released days before a UN Climate Action Summit in New York between governments, business leaders and international organisations.

"This research reveals an alarming imbalance," IIED's director Andrew Norton said in a statement.

"It is unacceptable that the poorest people are shouldering the burden of spending for adapting to climate change in Bangladesh.

"Much more needs to be done to make sure more public climate finance reaches the people who need it most."

Families -- instead of buying food or spending their money on health and education -- were repairing damaged homes and replacing animals and crops.

They were using the money to raise their houses above flood levels, and some were even taking out high-interest loans from informal sources, pushing them further into poverty, the researchers said.

Mohammad Nannu's home was last year destroyed by the shifting currents of the Padma, a tributary of the Himalayan river the Ganges.

He told AFP he borrowed money at an interest rate of more than 20 percent to make ends meet after the disaster, which experts said was due to climate change.

"I become penniless after losing my home and property... when the Padma devoured our entire village," the 50-year-old said.

Local mayor Shahidul Islam said just a handful of families were provided with new homes, with hundreds of others having to rent or move to cities.

Atiq Rahman, a Bangladeshi expert who sits in a UN climate change panel, welcomed the study but said $2 billion was "a fraction of the amount" Bangladeshis and the government spent every year.

"This is an underestimate. There are many climate change-related costs that cannot be easily monetised," he told AFP, citing the impacts on health, land fertility and livestock.

Poor, rural Bangladeshis are spending far more than the government and aid agencies to combat the impacts of climate change, diverting what little money they have away from basic needs, a study said Thursday.

Poor, rural Bangladeshis are spending far more than the government and aid agencies to combat the impacts of climate change, diverting what little money they have away from basic needs, a study said Thursday. Bangladesh -- a densely populated and impoverished low-lying nation of 168 million people -- is among the most vulnerable to global warming with rising sea levels threatening coastal villages. In a study billed as the first of its kind in comparing household spending to public financing, researchers found rural families were shelling out an average $2 billion a year to address the impacts of climate change. In contrast, Dhaka's budget for climate change in rural areas for 2018-19 was $1.46 billion, while international financing was an estimated $154 million annually, the report by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) found. The report was released days before a UN Climate Action Summit in New York between governments, business leaders and international organisations. "This research reveals an alarming imbalance," IIED's director Andrew Norton said in a statement. "It is unacceptable that the poorest people are shouldering the burden of spending for adapting to climate change in Bangladesh. "Much more needs to be done to make sure more public climate finance reaches the people who need it most." Families -- instead of buying food or spending their money on health and education -- were repairing damaged homes and replacing animals and crops. They were using the money to raise their houses above flood levels, and some were even taking out high-interest loans from informal sources, pushing them further into poverty, the researchers said. Mohammad Nannu's home was last year destroyed by the shifting currents of the Padma, a tributary of the Himalayan river the Ganges. He told AFP he borrowed money at an interest rate of more than 20 percent to make ends meet after the disaster, which experts said was due to climate change. "I become penniless after losing my home and property... when the Padma devoured our entire village," the 50-year-old said. Local mayor Shahidul Islam said just a handful of families were provided with new homes, with hundreds of others having to rent or move to cities. Atiq Rahman, a Bangladeshi expert who sits in a UN climate change panel, welcomed the study but said $2 billion was "a fraction of the amount" Bangladeshis and the government spent every year. "This is an underestimate. There are many climate change-related costs that cannot be easily monetised," he told AFP, citing the impacts on health, land fertility and livestock.

Bangladesh rural poor bear financial burden of climate change: Study

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who remain inside Myanmar face systematic persecution, a U.N. fact-finding mission said on Monday (September 16), repeating calls for top generals to face trial.

Rohingya still in Myanmar face violence and persecution, U.N. Says

UN human rights experts have raised new concerns about the treatment of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh following a deadly backlash over the killing of a ruling party official.

The experts called for an "impartial" investigation into the deaths of at least six Rohingya men in gunfights with police after they were named as suspects in the killing of Omar Faruk, a youth wing official of the ruling Awami League.

Following the murder, local people vandalised refugee shops and staged protests in one of the multiple camps now home to a total of more than 900,000 Muslim Rohingya who have fled oppression in neighbouring Myanmar.

In a statement released late Monday in Geneva, the six specially appointed UN experts on rights issues backed Bangladesh's probe into the murder of Faruk. &nbsp;&nbsp;

But they added, "it is equally necessary to ensure that the presumption of innocence is upheld and that reactionary, summary and ad hoc justice is not doled out solely to placate the legitimate concerns of the host community."

"We urge the Bangladeshi government to carry out an independent, impartial and effective investigation into all deaths that have occurred with regards to this case," they said.

Police inspector Ali Arshad told AFP at least 40 Rohingya have been killed in Bangladesh since July last year. Of those, at least 33 were killed by Bangladeshi security forces in gunfights and another seven were killed in shootouts among Rohingya groups, he said.

Rights groups have accused Bangladesh police of staging many of these gunfights as a cover for the extrajudicial killings of Rohingya, mainly suspects in drug smuggling.

The UN experts also expressed "serious concerns" over "tight new restrictions" and a communication clampdown in the refugee camps, where there is an effective internet blackout.&nbsp;

The clampdown follows the failure of a new attempt to repatriate some of the refugees and an August 25 rally in which some 200,000 Rohingya marked two years since the exodus.

The UN experts said that since the rally, a number of organisers have been questioned and subjected to "intimidation".

"We are alarmed by the sudden crackdown of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association," they said.

"These restrictions have been applied in a discriminatory manner against members of the Rohingya minority," said the experts who added that the "curfews and communications shutdowns could facilitate further serious human rights abuses against them."

UN human rights experts have raised new concerns about the treatment of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh following a deadly backlash over the killing of a ruling party official.

UN human rights experts have raised new concerns about the treatment of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh following a deadly backlash over the killing of a ruling party official. The experts called for an "impartial" investigation into the deaths of at least six Rohingya men in gunfights with police after they were named as suspects in the killing of Omar Faruk, a youth wing official of the ruling Awami League. Following the murder, local people vandalised refugee shops and staged protests in one of the multiple camps now home to a total of more than 900,000 Muslim Rohingya who have fled oppression in neighbouring Myanmar. In a statement released late Monday in Geneva, the six specially appointed UN experts on rights issues backed Bangladesh's probe into the murder of Faruk. But they added, "it is equally necessary to ensure that the presumption of innocence is upheld and that reactionary, summary and ad hoc justice is not doled out solely to placate the legitimate concerns of the host community." "We urge the Bangladeshi government to carry out an independent, impartial and effective investigation into all deaths that have occurred with regards to this case," they said. Police inspector Ali Arshad told AFP at least 40 Rohingya have been killed in Bangladesh since July last year. Of those, at least 33 were killed by Bangladeshi security forces in gunfights and another seven were killed in shootouts among Rohingya groups, he said. Rights groups have accused Bangladesh police of staging many of these gunfights as a cover for the extrajudicial killings of Rohingya, mainly suspects in drug smuggling. The UN experts also expressed "serious concerns" over "tight new restrictions" and a communication clampdown in the refugee camps, where there is an effective internet blackout. The clampdown follows the failure of a new attempt to repatriate some of the refugees and an August 25 rally in which some 200,000 Rohingya marked two years since the exodus. The UN experts said that since the rally, a number of organisers have been questioned and subjected to "intimidation". "We are alarmed by the sudden crackdown of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association," they said. "These restrictions have been applied in a discriminatory manner against members of the Rohingya minority," said the experts who added that the "curfews and communications shutdowns could facilitate further serious human rights abuses against them."

United Nations experts urge probe of Rohingya killings in Bangladesh

When more than 730,000 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/600000-rohingyas-in-myanmar-still-at-serious-risk-of-genocide-united-nations-249971">Rohingya fled into Bangladesh from Myanmar </a>in 2017, Bangladeshi journalist Sharif Azad was sympathetic to the plight of his fellow Muslims, survivors of a military-led crackdown the United Nations has branded genocide.

The reporter, from the southern corner of Bangladesh that has become home to the world’s largest refugee settlement, said he wrote accounts of the traumatized, exhausted Rohingya and did what he could to help. 
“All the people did it,” said Azad, in his office near a bustling market outside the town of Cox`s Bazar.

"We provided the food. We provided land.”

Two years on, Azad runs a campaign against the Rohingya, aiming to see them confined to their camps behind barbed wire until they can be sent back to Myanmar.

“We will continue our movement until repatriation happens,” said Azad, who said his group now has 1,000 members, and is one of several that have sprung up with the same aims.

Most Rohingya Muslims are denied citizenship in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where they are regarded as interlopers, illegal immigrants from South Asia.

Rohingya were driven from their villages in Myanmar into Bangladesh in the 1970s and again in the 1990s, fleeing what they said was persecution at the hands of the Myanmar military.

But the latest influx has been the biggest.

Myanmar denies accusations of genocide. It says its armed forces have carried out legitimate operations against Rohingya militants who attacked security forces.

In Bangladesh, the deterioration of relations between the "host" community and the newcomers has been so precipitous some now fear serious violence.

"I`ve lived to see three influxes and this is the worst,” said Bangladeshi labourer Khadir Hussein, 60, in a tea shop in the border town of Teknaf. 
“We feel if they attack us, how will we survive? We`re a minority in our land.”

'Taking measures'

Many Bangladeshis accuse the Rohingya of crime, taking jobs and pushing down wages.

Once-lush forests have been cleared for the camps and the road to Cox`s Bazar, the nearest major town, is clogged with aid trucks. A trip that used to take an hour can now take four on rutted, broken roads.

Recently, a hundreds-strong mob blocked roads and destroyed shops frequented by Rohingya as well as some UN offices, in a protest against the killing of a Bangladeshi ruling party youth leader.

Several Rohingya accused of involvement in the murder were later shot dead in what the police said were gunfights.

Senior Cox’s Bazar police official Iqbal Hossain said there had been a rise in crime, though the rate among refugees was no higher than that among Bangladeshis.

He acknowledged the growing animosity towards the refugees. 
"This is going to be tough to control so many people,” he said. “The government is taking measures to prevent any untoward situation.”

In a bamboo camp shelter, four refugees who asked not to be identified said they had fled from their homes after the recent mob attack, scrambling to gather children and belongings, in a state of terror they likened to their panicked flight from Myanmar.

"When we came here, we came to save our lives,” said one refugee, his voice shaking,

"But here, we`re not safe. We`re very afraid.”

Bangladesh has said all of the Rohingya must go home but not one agreed to last month in a second bid to get a repatriation process going.&nbsp; 
Refugees cite fears of violence and persecution back in Myanmar.

'Bad elements'

With tension between the communities rising, authorities have clamped down, cutting the internet in the camps and trying to confiscate phones, citing security concerns.

The sale of phone SIM cards to refugees has been forbidden.

H.T. Imam, an adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, accused "foreign forces" of mobilising the Rohingya against Bangladesh`s interests. He called the role of international aid agencies "mysterious".

"It is becoming clear there are unwanted people and bad elements among the Rohingyas, and they have been used by foreign forces,” he said.

"The camps should be surrounded by barbed wire to stop all ... criminal activities.”

UNHCR spokeswoman Caroline Gluck said in an email the agency "would recommend the adoption of security measures that do not impact upon the ability of refugees to access basic services and rights and live safely".

Regarding the communication restrictions, she said: "Technology has been an important way for the refugees to communicate with family and friends, and humanitarian agencies to disseminate and access information.”

But technology has also been used to fuel fear and suspicion. 
A flurry of rumours about Rohingya and international aid groups has appeared on Facebook and in newspapers.

In August, Azad posted a photo on Facebook showing piles of sharp objects and accused a non-governmental group of hiring the shop making them to arm refugees. The post was shared hundreds of times.

But staff at the shop told Reuters the tools were not weapons and the Bangladeshi NGO caught up in the affair said they were weeding tools for villagers.

The febrile atmosphere is contributing to a sense of despair. 
“They have the pen, they have the gun, they have a country. I have nothing,” one Rohingya man told Reuters.

“Please pray for us,” he said.

When more than 730,000 Rohingya fled into Bangladesh from Myanmar in 2017, Bangladeshi journalist Sharif Azad was sympathetic to the plight of his fellow Muslims, survivors of a military-led crackdown the United Nations has branded genocide.

When more than 730,000 Rohingya fled into Bangladesh from Myanmar in 2017, Bangladeshi journalist Sharif Azad was sympathetic to the plight of his fellow Muslims, survivors of a military-led crackdown the United Nations has branded genocide. The reporter, from the southern corner of Bangladesh that has become home to the world’s largest refugee settlement, said he wrote accounts of the traumatized, exhausted Rohingya and did what he could to help. “All the people did it,” said Azad, in his office near a bustling market outside the town of Cox`s Bazar. "We provided the food. We provided land.” Two years on, Azad runs a campaign against the Rohingya, aiming to see them confined to their camps behind barbed wire until they can be sent back to Myanmar. “We will continue our movement until repatriation happens,” said Azad, who said his group now has 1,000 members, and is one of several that have sprung up with the same aims. Most Rohingya Muslims are denied citizenship in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where they are regarded as interlopers, illegal immigrants from South Asia. Rohingya were driven from their villages in Myanmar into Bangladesh in the 1970s and again in the 1990s, fleeing what they said was persecution at the hands of the Myanmar military. But the latest influx has been the biggest. Myanmar denies accusations of genocide. It says its armed forces have carried out legitimate operations against Rohingya militants who attacked security forces. In Bangladesh, the deterioration of relations between the "host" community and the newcomers has been so precipitous some now fear serious violence. "I`ve lived to see three influxes and this is the worst,” said Bangladeshi labourer Khadir Hussein, 60, in a tea shop in the border town of Teknaf. “We feel if they attack us, how will we survive? We`re a minority in our land.” 'Taking measures' Many Bangladeshis accuse the Rohingya of crime, taking jobs and pushing down wages. Once-lush forests have been cleared for the camps and the road to Cox`s Bazar, the nearest major town, is clogged with aid trucks. A trip that used to take an hour can now take four on rutted, broken roads. Recently, a hundreds-strong mob blocked roads and destroyed shops frequented by Rohingya as well as some UN offices, in a protest against the killing of a Bangladeshi ruling party youth leader. Several Rohingya accused of involvement in the murder were later shot dead in what the police said were gunfights. Senior Cox’s Bazar police official Iqbal Hossain said there had been a rise in crime, though the rate among refugees was no higher than that among Bangladeshis. He acknowledged the growing animosity towards the refugees. "This is going to be tough to control so many people,” he said. “The government is taking measures to prevent any untoward situation.” In a bamboo camp shelter, four refugees who asked not to be identified said they had fled from their homes after the recent mob attack, scrambling to gather children and belongings, in a state of terror they likened to their panicked flight from Myanmar. "When we came here, we came to save our lives,” said one refugee, his voice shaking, "But here, we`re not safe. We`re very afraid.” Bangladesh has said all of the Rohingya must go home but not one agreed to last month in a second bid to get a repatriation process going. Refugees cite fears of violence and persecution back in Myanmar. 'Bad elements' With tension between the communities rising, authorities have clamped down, cutting the internet in the camps and trying to confiscate phones, citing security concerns. The sale of phone SIM cards to refugees has been forbidden. H.T. Imam, an adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, accused "foreign forces" of mobilising the Rohingya against Bangladesh`s interests. He called the role of international aid agencies "mysterious". "It is becoming clear there are unwanted people and bad elements among the Rohingyas, and they have been used by foreign forces,” he said. "The camps should be surrounded by barbed wire to stop all ... criminal activities.” UNHCR spokeswoman Caroline Gluck said in an email the agency "would recommend the adoption of security measures that do not impact upon the ability of refugees to access basic services and rights and live safely". Regarding the communication restrictions, she said: "Technology has been an important way for the refugees to communicate with family and friends, and humanitarian agencies to disseminate and access information.” But technology has also been used to fuel fear and suspicion. A flurry of rumours about Rohingya and international aid groups has appeared on Facebook and in newspapers. In August, Azad posted a photo on Facebook showing piles of sharp objects and accused a non-governmental group of hiring the shop making them to arm refugees. The post was shared hundreds of times. But staff at the shop told Reuters the tools were not weapons and the Bangladeshi NGO caught up in the affair said they were weeding tools for villagers. The febrile atmosphere is contributing to a sense of despair. “They have the pen, they have the gun, they have a country. I have nothing,” one Rohingya man told Reuters. “Please pray for us,” he said.

Rohingya in Bangladesh face tide of hostility as welcome turns to fear

Two more Rohingya men were shot dead by officers Friday in a southern Bangladesh border town, police said, amid a clampdown on the refugees after the killing of a ruling party official.

Police said the pair were accused of the murder of Omar Faruk, a youth wing official of the Awami League party, who was shot in the head by suspected <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-bans-two-aid-agencies-from-rohingya-refugee-camps-247755">Rohingya</a> criminals late last month.

Nearly a million Rohingya live in squalid camps in southeast Bangladesh, 740,000 of whom fled a 2017 military offensive against the Muslim minority in Myanmar.

Masud Hossain, head of police in the border district of Cox's Bazar, told AFP the two men were grievously injured during a gunfight with police near Teknaf town early Friday morning and were later declared dead in hospital.

"They are Rohingya miscreants. They were involved in robbery, abduction and drug smuggling," he said, adding they were "accused in the case" of Faruk's murder on August 22.

With the latest deaths, six Rohingya men allegedly involved in Faruk's killing have been shot dead in alleged gunfights with police, according to a count by AFP based on the statements of Cox's Bazar police.

Hossain, however, put the toll at five.

At least 36 refugees have now been killed by Bangladeshi security forces since August 2017, when Myanmar's military launched a crackdown in western Rakhine state, sparking the mass exodus.

Rights groups have previously accused Bangladesh police of extrajudicial killings of Rohingya, mainly suspects in drug smuggling, saying some of the gunfights appeared to be staged.

The latest deaths follow a second failed attempt to begin the repatriation of the Rohingya to Myanmar.

Bangladesh Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-pm-blames-myanmar-for-rohingya-repatriation-failure-249197">Sheikh Hasina</a> has blamed Myanmar for the failure, saying Naypyidaw did not do enough to win the community's trust.

But her government has also started to crack down on activity in the Rohingya camps .

Dhaka has imposed a virtual internet <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-halts-new-sim-card-sale-in-rohingya-camps-248751">blackout</a> by cutting access to 3G and 4G mobile<a> internet networks.</a>

Two more Rohingya men were shot dead by officers Friday in a southern Bangladesh border town, police said, amid a clampdown on the refugees after the killing of a ruling party official.

Two more Rohingya men were shot dead by officers Friday in a southern Bangladesh border town, police said, amid a clampdown on the refugees after the killing of a ruling party official. Police said the pair were accused of the murder of Omar Faruk, a youth wing official of the Awami League party, who was shot in the head by suspected Rohingya criminals late last month. Nearly a million Rohingya live in squalid camps in southeast Bangladesh, 740,000 of whom fled a 2017 military offensive against the Muslim minority in Myanmar. Masud Hossain, head of police in the border district of Cox's Bazar, told AFP the two men were grievously injured during a gunfight with police near Teknaf town early Friday morning and were later declared dead in hospital. "They are Rohingya miscreants. They were involved in robbery, abduction and drug smuggling," he said, adding they were "accused in the case" of Faruk's murder on August 22. With the latest deaths, six Rohingya men allegedly involved in Faruk's killing have been shot dead in alleged gunfights with police, according to a count by AFP based on the statements of Cox's Bazar police. Hossain, however, put the toll at five. At least 36 refugees have now been killed by Bangladeshi security forces since August 2017, when Myanmar's military launched a crackdown in western Rakhine state, sparking the mass exodus. Rights groups have previously accused Bangladesh police of extrajudicial killings of Rohingya, mainly suspects in drug smuggling, saying some of the gunfights appeared to be staged. The latest deaths follow a second failed attempt to begin the repatriation of the Rohingya to Myanmar. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has blamed Myanmar for the failure, saying Naypyidaw did not do enough to win the community's trust. But her government has also started to crack down on activity in the Rohingya camps . Dhaka has imposed a virtual internet blackout by cutting access to 3G and 4G mobile internet networks.

Two more Rohingya shot dead over Bangladesh politician's murder

Two<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-pm-blames-myanmar-for-rohingya-repatriation-failure-249197"> Bangladeshi </a>policemen have been dismissed&nbsp;after a rape victim's family said she was forced to marry one of the accused rapists in a police station, officials said Tuesday.

The mother-of-three had accused five men of confining her to a room and sexually assaulting her multiple times between August 29 and August 31 in the northernstric dit of Pabna.

But her brother told the national Daily Star newspaper this week that officers at the police station forced her to sign documents divorcing her husband and marrying the main suspect.

The marriage allegedly took place when she first tried to file the complaint last week.

Police officials on Thursday said the marriage appeared to be part of an effort to prevent the suspects from being prosecuted.

We have suspended sub-inspector Ekramul Haq for helping the marriage between the victim and one of her suspected rapists, who is also the chief accused," deputy police chief of Pabna, Mohammad ibne Mizan, told AFP.

"We have also withdrawn the officer-in-charge of Pabna Sadar police station from his duty after he allowed the marriage to take place in the police station compound."

police did not say how long Haq was suspended for and where the other officer was to be transferred to.

Four people linked to the assault including three of the suspected rapists have been arrested, he added.

One of the accused is a low-level official of the ruling Awami League party, the Daily Star said.

Rights groups say gang-rapes have increased in the country in recent years. Many blame the country's weak criminal justice system, which sees very few convictions in rape cases.

Two Bangladeshi policemen have been dismissed after a rape victim's family said she was forced to marry one of the accused rapists in a police station, officials said Tuesday.

Two Bangladeshi policemen have been dismissed after a rape victim's family said she was forced to marry one of the accused rapists in a police station, officials said Tuesday. The mother-of-three had accused five men of confining her to a room and sexually assaulting her multiple times between August 29 and August 31 in the northernstric dit of Pabna. But her brother told the national Daily Star newspaper this week that officers at the police station forced her to sign documents divorcing her husband and marrying the main suspect. The marriage allegedly took place when she first tried to file the complaint last week. Police officials on Thursday said the marriage appeared to be part of an effort to prevent the suspects from being prosecuted. We have suspended sub-inspector Ekramul Haq for helping the marriage between the victim and one of her suspected rapists, who is also the chief accused," deputy police chief of Pabna, Mohammad ibne Mizan, told AFP. "We have also withdrawn the officer-in-charge of Pabna Sadar police station from his duty after he allowed the marriage to take place in the police station compound." police did not say how long Haq was suspended for and where the other officer was to be transferred to. Four people linked to the assault including three of the suspected rapists have been arrested, he added. One of the accused is a low-level official of the ruling Awami League party, the Daily Star said. Rights groups say gang-rapes have increased in the country in recent years. Many blame the country's weak criminal justice system, which sees very few convictions in rape cases.

Bangladesh cops force gang-rape victim to marry suspect: Family

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-pm-hasina-accuses-myanmar-of-defying-promise-over-repatriation-of-rohingyas-225839">Bangladesh's prime minister has blamed Myanmar</a> for the failure of a recent attempt to repatriate Rohingya refugees, saying its neighbouring country did not do enough to win the community's trust.

The comments from Sheikh Hasina came three weeks after a fresh push to return the Muslim minority to Myanmar's conflict-scarred Rakhine state that fell flat when no-one turned up.

Some 740,000 Rohingya fled their villages in Rakhine following a military crackdown in August 2017, joining nearly 200,000 already living in squalid camps across the border in southeast Bangladesh.

"We've seen Myanmar could not win Rohingya's trust in creating a conducive situation (in Rakhine) for their dignified return," Hasina said in parliament late Wednesday.

"We had full preparation, but still the repatriation did not start uncertainty looms over Rohingya getting back their homes, land and other properties."

Hasina said she had asked other Asian nations including China, India, and Japan to help resolve the crisis.

Her comments reflect Dhaka's frustration over the lack of a resolution to the refugee crisis.

A previous repatriation offer was rejected by Rohingya leaders in October.

Watch: Bangladesh Feels ISI Could recruit from Rohingya Camps

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-bangladesh-feels-isi-could-recruit-from-rohingya-camps-246739/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Her government has also started to crack down on activity in the camps amid a recent outbreak of violence and rising tensions with locals.

Dhaka has imposed a virtual internet blackout in the camps in the border towns of Teknaf and Ukhia by cutting access to 3G and 4G mobile internet networks.

Expects have said 2G networks are too slow for internet use.

Rohingya leaders have repeatedly said the refugees will not return to their homeland unless their safety is ensured, their rights and citizenship are granted and they are allowed to resettle in their villages.

The Rohingya are not recognised as an official minority by the Myanmar government, which considers them Bengali interlopers despite many families having lived in the country for generations.

Bangladesh's prime minister has blamed Myanmar for the failure of a recent attempt to repatriate Rohingya refugees, saying its neighbouring country did not do enough to win the community's trust.

Bangladesh's prime minister has blamed Myanmar for the failure of a recent attempt to repatriate Rohingya refugees, saying its neighbouring country did not do enough to win the community's trust. The comments from Sheikh Hasina came three weeks after a fresh push to return the Muslim minority to Myanmar's conflict-scarred Rakhine state that fell flat when no-one turned up. Some 740,000 Rohingya fled their villages in Rakhine following a military crackdown in August 2017, joining nearly 200,000 already living in squalid camps across the border in southeast Bangladesh. "We've seen Myanmar could not win Rohingya's trust in creating a conducive situation (in Rakhine) for their dignified return," Hasina said in parliament late Wednesday. "We had full preparation, but still the repatriation did not start uncertainty looms over Rohingya getting back their homes, land and other properties." Hasina said she had asked other Asian nations including China, India, and Japan to help resolve the crisis. Her comments reflect Dhaka's frustration over the lack of a resolution to the refugee crisis. A previous repatriation offer was rejected by Rohingya leaders in October. Watch: Bangladesh Feels ISI Could recruit from Rohingya Camps Her government has also started to crack down on activity in the camps amid a recent outbreak of violence and rising tensions with locals. Dhaka has imposed a virtual internet blackout in the camps in the border towns of Teknaf and Ukhia by cutting access to 3G and 4G mobile internet networks. Expects have said 2G networks are too slow for internet use. Rohingya leaders have repeatedly said the refugees will not return to their homeland unless their safety is ensured, their rights and citizenship are granted and they are allowed to resettle in their villages. The Rohingya are not recognised as an official minority by the Myanmar government, which considers them Bengali interlopers despite many families having lived in the country for generations.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina blames Myanmar for Rohingya repatriation failure

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed hope to get a positive response from India over different unresolved issues, including the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-change-in-teesta-water-sharing-agreement-s-jaishankar-244424">Teesta water-sharing</a> one, before her visit to the neighbouring country earlier in October.

'We're optimistic that the unresolved issues between the two countries will be sorted out soon. We hope we'll get positive results over the aforesaid issues before my visit to India,'&nbsp;Hasina told the parliament on Wednesday.

The prime minister is scheduled to visit India on October 3-6, to attend the India Economic Summit of the World Economic Forum scheduled to be held in New Delhi on October 3-4 with the theme 'Innovating for India; Strengthening South Asia, Impacting the World', Dhaka Tribune reported.

Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi will also be holding a bilateral meeting on October 5.

Hasina also said that she will talk to Modi over the water sharing issues between the two countries, including Teesta, during her visit to India.

Noting that Bangladesh has very healthy ties with India, she said new doors have opened in newer areas of mutual cooperation and development.

Hasina said Bangladesh and India have already signed agreements on security, trade, power, energy, communications, development assistance, environment, education, infrastructure development, culture, and health.

Besides, cooperation has enhanced on different other issues, including the blue economy, the peaceful use of nuclear energy, aerospace research, and cybersecurity, she added.

About the Teesta water-sharing deal, she said her government's diplomatic efforts are underway to sign the agreement. "The issue is being placed before the highest political levels of the two countries," she was quoted as saying.

Modi during his previous visit to Bangladesh had assured to resolve the Teesta issue with the assistance of the concerned Indian state governments.&nbsp;

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed hope to get a positive response from India over different unresolved issues, including the Teesta water-sharing one, before her visit to the neighbouring country earlier in October.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed hope to get a positive response from India over different unresolved issues, including the Teesta water-sharing one, before her visit to the neighbouring country earlier in October. 'We're optimistic that the unresolved issues between the two countries will be sorted out soon. We hope we'll get positive results over the aforesaid issues before my visit to India,' Hasina told the parliament on Wednesday. The prime minister is scheduled to visit India on October 3-6, to attend the India Economic Summit of the World Economic Forum scheduled to be held in New Delhi on October 3-4 with the theme 'Innovating for India; Strengthening South Asia, Impacting the World', Dhaka Tribune reported. Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi will also be holding a bilateral meeting on October 5. Hasina also said that she will talk to Modi over the water sharing issues between the two countries, including Teesta, during her visit to India. Noting that Bangladesh has very healthy ties with India, she said new doors have opened in newer areas of mutual cooperation and development. Hasina said Bangladesh and India have already signed agreements on security, trade, power, energy, communications, development assistance, environment, education, infrastructure development, culture, and health. Besides, cooperation has enhanced on different other issues, including the blue economy, the peaceful use of nuclear energy, aerospace research, and cybersecurity, she added. About the Teesta water-sharing deal, she said her government's diplomatic efforts are underway to sign the agreement. "The issue is being placed before the highest political levels of the two countries," she was quoted as saying. Modi during his previous visit to Bangladesh had assured to resolve the Teesta issue with the assistance of the concerned Indian state governments.

Sheikh Hasina expects positive response from India over unresolved issues, including Teesta

Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan has taken full responsibility for their <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/afghanistan-thrash-bangladesh-by-224-runs-in-one-off-test-248632">shocking home defeat to Test rookies Afghanistan</a> in the one-off match at Chattogram and says it would be best if someone else took over the captaincy.

The 32-year-old all-rounder, widely regarded as the best cricketer Bangladesh has ever produced, took the Test captaincy in 2017 from Mushfiqur Rahim for his second stint at the helm after leading them between 2009 and 2011.

War-torn Afghanistan, playing only their third match after being inducted as a Test-playing nation two years ago, completed a famous victory by defeating Bangladesh by 224 runs with 3.2 overs left on the final day on Monday.

"It will be best if I didn't have to lead," Shakib told reporters after the match. "I personally believe it will be good for my game.

"And if I have to continue leading, then obviously there is a lot to discuss about (with the board)."

Shakib was the lone shining light for Bangladesh during the 50-overs World Cup in England, finishing third on the run-getters' list with 606 from eight innings while also picking up 11 wickets with his left-arm orthodox spin bowling.

Following the World Cup he took a break during Bangladesh's dismal tour of Sri Lanka, where they lost all three one-day internationals but his return failed to inspire the side to victory against Rashid Khan's Afghanistan.

Heavy showers allowed little play on the final day, leaving Afghanistan with a little more than 18 overs in the final session to take the remaining four wickets and force a result, while Bangladesh had high hopes of avoiding defeat with Shakib unbeaten on 44.

However, he edged spinner Zahir Khan off the first ball of the session while attempting a cut shot to allow Afghanistan their big breakthrough.

"I am really disappointed," Shakib said. "The whole blame goes on my shoulders.

"I was very nervous when I came out to bat, and got out the first ball and it was my fault. I should have taken more responsibility and could have avoided the cut shot.

"We had to play only one hour and 10 minutes, and I got out the first ball. So it became harder for the team. The dressing room would have felt more comfortable if I had stayed out."

Giving his team zero marks out of 100 for the match, Shakib said they had to produce better players if they were to become more consistent.

"If we want to play well consistently, we need to improve our quality and need more quality players."

Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan has taken full responsibility for their shocking home defeat to Test rookies Afghanistan in the one-off match at Chattogram and says it would be best if someone else took over the captaincy.

Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan has taken full responsibility for their shocking home defeat to Test rookies Afghanistan in the one-off match at Chattogram and says it would be best if someone else took over the captaincy. The 32-year-old all-rounder, widely regarded as the best cricketer Bangladesh has ever produced, took the Test captaincy in 2017 from Mushfiqur Rahim for his second stint at the helm after leading them between 2009 and 2011. War-torn Afghanistan, playing only their third match after being inducted as a Test-playing nation two years ago, completed a famous victory by defeating Bangladesh by 224 runs with 3.2 overs left on the final day on Monday. "It will be best if I didn't have to lead," Shakib told reporters after the match. "I personally believe it will be good for my game. "And if I have to continue leading, then obviously there is a lot to discuss about (with the board)." Shakib was the lone shining light for Bangladesh during the 50-overs World Cup in England, finishing third on the run-getters' list with 606 from eight innings while also picking up 11 wickets with his left-arm orthodox spin bowling. Following the World Cup he took a break during Bangladesh's dismal tour of Sri Lanka, where they lost all three one-day internationals but his return failed to inspire the side to victory against Rashid Khan's Afghanistan. Heavy showers allowed little play on the final day, leaving Afghanistan with a little more than 18 overs in the final session to take the remaining four wickets and force a result, while Bangladesh had high hopes of avoiding defeat with Shakib unbeaten on 44. However, he edged spinner Zahir Khan off the first ball of the session while attempting a cut shot to allow Afghanistan their big breakthrough. "I am really disappointed," Shakib said. "The whole blame goes on my shoulders. "I was very nervous when I came out to bat, and got out the first ball and it was my fault. I should have taken more responsibility and could have avoided the cut shot. "We had to play only one hour and 10 minutes, and I got out the first ball. So it became harder for the team. The dressing room would have felt more comfortable if I had stayed out." Giving his team zero marks out of 100 for the match, Shakib said they had to produce better players if they were to become more consistent. "If we want to play well consistently, we need to improve our quality and need more quality players."

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan takes blame for Afghan loss

The Tamil Nadu Police arrested a Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terrorist from Thoraipakkam area of Chennai in the early hours on Tuesday.

According to the police, the accused, identified as Asadullah Sk, was arrested from his rented accommodation in Chennai.

He hails from Burdwan city of West Bengal.

A case has been registered against him under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including waging war and sedition, said the police.

Asadullah will be produced before the court tomorrow, where his transit remand will be sought.

The Tamil Nadu Police arrested a Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terrorist from Thoraipakkam area of Chennai in the early hours on Tuesday. According to the police, the accused, identified as Asadullah Sk, was arrested from his rented accommodation in Chennai.

The Tamil Nadu Police arrested a Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terrorist from Thoraipakkam area of Chennai in the early hours on Tuesday. According to the police, the accused, identified as Asadullah Sk, was arrested from his rented accommodation in Chennai. He hails from Burdwan city of West Bengal. A case has been registered against him under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including waging war and sedition, said the police. Asadullah will be produced before the court tomorrow, where his transit remand will be sought.

Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh terrorist arrested in Chennai

Bangladesh mobile operators have on government orders stopped selling new SIM cards to Rohingya refugees, officials said Monday, in a further sign of Dhaka's impatience following the latest failed repatriation move.

Bangladesh has been hosting around a million Rohingya refugees in vast camps in the south-east since a military crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar prompted a huge exodus in August 2017.

In late August a repatriation initiative fell flat with the long-oppressed minority refugees refusing to return to Myanmar without guarantees for their safety and citizenship.

Adding to frustration in Dhaka, this was followed by a protest by some 200,000 Rohingya to mark two years since their arrival.

There has also been a spike in violence and a rise in tensions with locals, and authorities fear the internet and telephone access could contribute to further unrest.

Bangladeshi security forces have shot dead at least 34 Rohingya over the past two years, mostly for alleged methamphetamines trafficking. Rights groups accuse police of carrying out extrajudicial killings.

'Seven days'

Bangladesh's telecommunications regulator on September 3 ordered phone companies to cut off mobile access in the three dozen refugee camps, citing security grounds.

The four mobile phone operators were given seven days to submit reports on actions they have taken to shut down data connectivity and were ordered to stop selling SIM (subscriber identity module) cards in the camp areas.

"Already, SIM card sale has been stopped in the camp areas," S.M. Farhad, secretary-general of the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB), which represents all mobile phone operators, told AFP on Monday.

He said high speed third- and fourth-generation (3G and 4G) mobile internet connections in the region have also been suspended between 5:00 pm and 6:00 am every day.

The operators also restricted coverage to within Bangladesh following allegations that Rohingya over the border in Myanmar were using the networks, he said.

Mohammad Abul Monsur, police chief at Ukhia town where the world's largest refugee camp, Kutupalong, is located, confirmed the development, saying mobile phone retailers have been told not to sell any new SIM cards in the region.

"No new SIM cards are being sold in Ukhia," he told AFP, adding police have monitored the town the last two days.

Bangladesh has in the past tried to restrict mobile access but it was not enforced seriously, spawning booming markets of mobile phones and SIM cards in the camps.

The latest ban has stunned the refugees, with leaders saying it would hugely affect their life and security, disrupting communications between different camps and with Rohingya still in Myanmar.

Rights group Human Rights Watch on Saturday urged the government to end the communications clampdown, saying it "made matters worse."

"The authorities should take a level-headed approach instead of overreacting to tensions and protests by isolating Rohingya refugees in camps," HRW said.

Bangladesh mobile operators have on government orders stopped selling new SIM cards to Rohingya refugees, officials said Monday, in a further sign of Dhaka's impatience following the latest failed repatriation move.

Bangladesh mobile operators have on government orders stopped selling new SIM cards to Rohingya refugees, officials said Monday, in a further sign of Dhaka's impatience following the latest failed repatriation move. Bangladesh has been hosting around a million Rohingya refugees in vast camps in the south-east since a military crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar prompted a huge exodus in August 2017. In late August a repatriation initiative fell flat with the long-oppressed minority refugees refusing to return to Myanmar without guarantees for their safety and citizenship. Adding to frustration in Dhaka, this was followed by a protest by some 200,000 Rohingya to mark two years since their arrival. There has also been a spike in violence and a rise in tensions with locals, and authorities fear the internet and telephone access could contribute to further unrest. Bangladeshi security forces have shot dead at least 34 Rohingya over the past two years, mostly for alleged methamphetamines trafficking. Rights groups accuse police of carrying out extrajudicial killings. 'Seven days' Bangladesh's telecommunications regulator on September 3 ordered phone companies to cut off mobile access in the three dozen refugee camps, citing security grounds. The four mobile phone operators were given seven days to submit reports on actions they have taken to shut down data connectivity and were ordered to stop selling SIM (subscriber identity module) cards in the camp areas. "Already, SIM card sale has been stopped in the camp areas," S.M. Farhad, secretary-general of the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB), which represents all mobile phone operators, told AFP on Monday. He said high speed third- and fourth-generation (3G and 4G) mobile internet connections in the region have also been suspended between 5:00 pm and 6:00 am every day. The operators also restricted coverage to within Bangladesh following allegations that Rohingya over the border in Myanmar were using the networks, he said. Mohammad Abul Monsur, police chief at Ukhia town where the world's largest refugee camp, Kutupalong, is located, confirmed the development, saying mobile phone retailers have been told not to sell any new SIM cards in the region. "No new SIM cards are being sold in Ukhia," he told AFP, adding police have monitored the town the last two days. Bangladesh has in the past tried to restrict mobile access but it was not enforced seriously, spawning booming markets of mobile phones and SIM cards in the camps. The latest ban has stunned the refugees, with leaders saying it would hugely affect their life and security, disrupting communications between different camps and with Rohingya still in Myanmar. Rights group Human Rights Watch on Saturday urged the government to end the communications clampdown, saying it "made matters worse." "The authorities should take a level-headed approach instead of overreacting to tensions and protests by isolating Rohingya refugees in camps," HRW said.

Bangladesh halts new SIM card sale in Rohingya camps

Rashid Khan claimed 6-49 and completed his maiden 10-wicket haul in Test cricket as Afghanistan overcame rain&nbsp;and fading light to crush Bangladesh by 224 runs in the one-off Test in Chittagong on Monday.

In only his country's third Test match, Rashid took three of the last four wickets to finish with a match haul of 11 wickets, helping Afghanistan bowl out Bangladesh for 173 runs in the second innings.

With four wickets in hand, the hosts were given 18.3 overs to survive after play resumed in the final session following a rain break but they succumbed with three overs to spare.

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WHAT. A. FINISH. 
 
Afghanistan will enjoy that for a long time! <a href="https://t.co/fO98U8SWEX">pic.twitter.com/fO98U8SWEX</a>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1171021691092373505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Rashid Khan claims the final wicket – that of Soumya Sarkar – as Afghanistan secure a 224-run victory! 
 
What a brilliant performance by the captain, who finishes with 11 wickets for the match 🔥 
 
Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BANvAFG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BANvAFG</a> blog for live updates ⏬<a href="https://t.co/kHXVx32oOc">https://t.co/kHXVx32oOc</a> <a href="https://t.co/RNBDXvWd2K">pic.twitter.com/RNBDXvWd2K</a>
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Brief scores: Afghanistan first innings 342 all out (Rahmat Shah 102, Asghar Afghan 92, Rashid Khan 51; Taijul Islam 4-116) and 260 all out (Ibrahim Zadran 87, Asghar Afgan 50; Shakib Al Hasan 3-58) vs Bangladesh first innings 205 (Mominul Haque 52; Rashid Khan 5-55, Mohammad Nabi 3-56) and 173 in 61.2 overs (Rashid Khan 6-49, Zahir Khan 3-59)

Rashid Khan claimed 6-49 and completed his maiden 10-wicket haul in Test cricket as Afghanistan overcame rain and fading light to crush Bangladesh by 224 runs in the one-off Test in Chittagong on Monday.

Rashid Khan claimed 6-49 and completed his maiden 10-wicket haul in Test cricket as Afghanistan overcame rain and fading light to crush Bangladesh by 224 runs in the one-off Test in Chittagong on Monday. In only his country's third Test match, Rashid took three of the last four wickets to finish with a match haul of 11 wickets, helping Afghanistan bowl out Bangladesh for 173 runs in the second innings. With four wickets in hand, the hosts were given 18.3 overs to survive after play resumed in the final session following a rain break but they succumbed with three overs to spare. WHAT. A. FINISH. Afghanistan will enjoy that for a long time! pic.twitter.com/fO98U8SWEX — ICC (@ICC) September 9, 2019 × Rashid Khan claims the final wicket – that of Soumya Sarkar – as Afghanistan secure a 224-run victory! What a brilliant performance by the captain, who finishes with 11 wickets for the match 🔥 Follow #BANvAFG blog for live updates ⏬https://t.co/kHXVx32oOc pic.twitter.com/RNBDXvWd2K — ICC (@ICC) September 9, 2019 × Brief scores: Afghanistan first innings 342 all out (Rahmat Shah 102, Asghar Afghan 92, Rashid Khan 51; Taijul Islam 4-116) and 260 all out (Ibrahim Zadran 87, Asghar Afgan 50; Shakib Al Hasan 3-58) vs Bangladesh first innings 205 (Mominul Haque 52; Rashid Khan 5-55, Mohammad Nabi 3-56) and 173 in 61.2 overs (Rashid Khan 6-49, Zahir Khan 3-59)

Afghanistan thrash Bangladesh by 224 runs in one-off Test

A <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-bans-two-aid-agencies-from-rohingya-refugee-camps-247755">Bangladesh </a>university has suspended a student for being <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rohingyas-in-bangladesh-unhappy-over-mobile-internet-curbs-247826">Rohingya</a>, officials said Sunday, as impatience with the refugees grows following a second failed attempt to repatriate them to Myanmar.

Some 740,000 of the Muslim minority fled to camps in southeast Bangladesh after a military crackdown in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-rights-investigator-on-myanmar-lambasts-suu-kyi-247557">Myanmar's Rakhine state</a> in August 2017, joining 200,000 Rohingya already there.

Formal education in Bangladesh is forbidden for refugees.

Cox's Bazar International University said it had suspended Rahima Akter Khushi, 20, and would investigate her case after local media said she hid her Rohingya identity to enrol.

"Rohingya can't be admitted to our university, because they are refugees," the institution's head Abul Kashem said.

"Foreigners can study here, but they must follow a procedure."

He said the young woman had supplied documents showing she completed high-school studies in Bangladesh's port city of Chittagong.

Khushi, who was studying law, told AFP the private university's decision had "mentally shattered" her.

"Any other girl may have killed themselves by now. But... I am trying my best to face the situation," she said.

The decision follows the latest repatriation attempt by Bangladesh and Myanmar, which failed with not a single refugee volunteering to cross the border back home.

Bangladeshi authorities have since ordered operators to shut down mobile phone services in the camps, which have seen an outbreak of violence in recent weeks, while high-speed internet has also been suspended at night.

News website Rohingya Post said Khushi was targeted after a 2018 interview with international news agency Associated Press went viral in Cox's Bazar, where the camps are.

Khushi said her parents arrived in Bangladesh from Rakhine in the 1990s and she was born and raised in Cox's Bazar.

"I wanted to go further. But I don't know how I would do it," Khushi told AFP.

Brisbane-based Rohingya leader Mojib Ullah said suspending Khushi would do "nothing but kill potential" in the community, who had limited opportunities to study in Rakhine.

A Bangladesh university has suspended a student for being Rohingya, officials said Sunday, as impatience with the refugees grows following a second failed attempt to repatriate them to Myanmar.

A Bangladesh university has suspended a student for being Rohingya, officials said Sunday, as impatience with the refugees grows following a second failed attempt to repatriate them to Myanmar. Some 740,000 of the Muslim minority fled to camps in southeast Bangladesh after a military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state in August 2017, joining 200,000 Rohingya already there. Formal education in Bangladesh is forbidden for refugees. Cox's Bazar International University said it had suspended Rahima Akter Khushi, 20, and would investigate her case after local media said she hid her Rohingya identity to enrol. "Rohingya can't be admitted to our university, because they are refugees," the institution's head Abul Kashem said. "Foreigners can study here, but they must follow a procedure." He said the young woman had supplied documents showing she completed high-school studies in Bangladesh's port city of Chittagong. Khushi, who was studying law, told AFP the private university's decision had "mentally shattered" her. "Any other girl may have killed themselves by now. But... I am trying my best to face the situation," she said. The decision follows the latest repatriation attempt by Bangladesh and Myanmar, which failed with not a single refugee volunteering to cross the border back home. Bangladeshi authorities have since ordered operators to shut down mobile phone services in the camps, which have seen an outbreak of violence in recent weeks, while high-speed internet has also been suspended at night. News website Rohingya Post said Khushi was targeted after a 2018 interview with international news agency Associated Press went viral in Cox's Bazar, where the camps are. Khushi said her parents arrived in Bangladesh from Rakhine in the 1990s and she was born and raised in Cox's Bazar. "I wanted to go further. But I don't know how I would do it," Khushi told AFP. Brisbane-based Rohingya leader Mojib Ullah said suspending Khushi would do "nothing but kill potential" in the community, who had limited opportunities to study in Rakhine.

Bangladesh university suspends student for being Rohingya

The West Bengal Legislative Assembly passed a resolution against National Register of Citizens (NRC) on Friday.

The resolution, jointly moved by the ruling Trinamool Congress, Left Front and Congress was passed to prevent its implementation in the state of West Bengal.

“During Rajiv Gandhi’s regime, the Assam Accord was signed to return peace and tranquillity to the state. This was not applicable to other states in India. We will not accept the NRC here. I welcome Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s statement that they will also not implement NRC in their state,” said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee while participating in the discussion.

Opposition MLAs also echoed her words and demanded the resolution be passed in the assembly.

“Has the BJP government tried to furnish figures how many Bangladeshis are living in the country between 2014 and 2019? Out of the 19 lakh excluded in the NRC in Assam, more than 11 lakh are Hindus. Who is answerable for this? NRC was implemented because of the Assam Accord but no such accord or agreement was signed in West Bengal. Hence there is no question of the NRC being implemented in the state of West Bengal,” said Forward Bloc MLA Ali Imran Ramz.

While the resolution was being passed in the assembly, the BJP MLAs staged a walkout amidst the passing of the resolution.

“We staged a walkout today as we opposed this move. These are the double standards of the Chief Minister. In 2005, Mamata Banerjee had accused the Left Front government that they are supporting Bangladeshi infiltration which is changing the state’s demography. She had torn the papers and thrown it at the speaker. Now, she is protesting against the NRC. This nothing but her double standards,” said Manoj Tigga, Leader of BJP Legislative Party in the assembly. 
&nbsp;

The West Bengal Legislative Assembly passed a resolution against National Register of Citizens (NRC) on Friday. The resolution, jointly moved by the ruling Trinamool Congress, Left Front and Congress was passed to prevent its implementation in the state of West Bengal.

The West Bengal Legislative Assembly passed a resolution against National Register of Citizens (NRC) on Friday. The resolution, jointly moved by the ruling Trinamool Congress, Left Front and Congress was passed to prevent its implementation in the state of West Bengal. “During Rajiv Gandhi’s regime, the Assam Accord was signed to return peace and tranquillity to the state. This was not applicable to other states in India. We will not accept the NRC here. I welcome Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s statement that they will also not implement NRC in their state,” said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee while participating in the discussion. Opposition MLAs also echoed her words and demanded the resolution be passed in the assembly. “Has the BJP government tried to furnish figures how many Bangladeshis are living in the country between 2014 and 2019? Out of the 19 lakh excluded in the NRC in Assam, more than 11 lakh are Hindus. Who is answerable for this? NRC was implemented because of the Assam Accord but no such accord or agreement was signed in West Bengal. Hence there is no question of the NRC being implemented in the state of West Bengal,” said Forward Bloc MLA Ali Imran Ramz. While the resolution was being passed in the assembly, the BJP MLAs staged a walkout amidst the passing of the resolution. “We staged a walkout today as we opposed this move. These are the double standards of the Chief Minister. In 2005, Mamata Banerjee had accused the Left Front government that they are supporting Bangladeshi infiltration which is changing the state’s demography. She had torn the papers and thrown it at the speaker. Now, she is protesting against the NRC. This nothing but her double standards,” said Manoj Tigga, Leader of BJP Legislative Party in the assembly.

Bengal Assembly passes resolution against National Register of Citizens

Rohingya refugees living in camps in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-bans-two-aid-agencies-from-rohingya-refugee-camps-247755">Bangladesh on Wednesday</a>&nbsp;expressed their unhappiness at the decision to block mobile data services due to security concerns.

Bangladesh's telecom regulatory authority on Tuesday had&nbsp;ordered mobile phone operators to partially block high-speed data services to areas where Rohingya refugees are living in sprawling camps. The operators were also asked on Sunday to block mobile services and stop selling mobile SIMs to the Rohingya.

The move came following a spike in violent crime in the southern district of Cox's Bazar, where more than one million Rohingya are sheltered.

Over 730,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar's Rakhine state for Bangladesh after a military-led crackdown in August 2017 that the United Nations has said was perpetrated with "genocidal intent". Myanmar has denied almost all the allegations.

Tensions are running high in the camps after a youth wing leader from Bangladesh's ruling Awami League party was killed last week, allegedly by Rohingya refugees, and at least four Rohingya were shot dead by police.

Rohingya refugees living in camps in Bangladesh on Wednesday expressed their unhappiness at the decision to block mobile data services due to security concerns. Bangladesh's telecom regulatory authority on Tuesday had ordered mobile phone operators to partially block high-speed data services to areas where Rohingya refugees are living in sprawling camps.

Rohingya refugees living in camps in Bangladesh on Wednesday expressed their unhappiness at the decision to block mobile data services due to security concerns. Bangladesh's telecom regulatory authority on Tuesday had ordered mobile phone operators to partially block high-speed data services to areas where Rohingya refugees are living in sprawling camps. The operators were also asked on Sunday to block mobile services and stop selling mobile SIMs to the Rohingya. The move came following a spike in violent crime in the southern district of Cox's Bazar, where more than one million Rohingya are sheltered. Over 730,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar's Rakhine state for Bangladesh after a military-led crackdown in August 2017 that the United Nations has said was perpetrated with "genocidal intent". Myanmar has denied almost all the allegations. Tensions are running high in the camps after a youth wing leader from Bangladesh's ruling Awami League party was killed last week, allegedly by Rohingya refugees, and at least four Rohingya were shot dead by police.

Rohingyas in Bangladesh unhappy over mobile internet curbs

Bangladesh on Thursday said it has banned two aid agencies from Rohingya camps in the country's southeast, alleging they were telling refugees to reject repatriation to their homeland in Myanmar.

The move came amid growing impatience from Dhaka about the presence of the refugees in the country, two years after some 740,000 were driven over the border by a military crackdown on the Muslim minority.

The latest repatriation attempt by Bangladesh and Myanmar two weeks ago, the second in less than a year, failed with not a single refugee volunteering to cross the border back home.

US-based Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and local organisation Al Markaz ul Islami were accused by the government's NGO Affairs Bureau of "instigating" the stateless minority against the recent repatriation attempt.

Kamal Hossain, the government administrator of Cox's Bazar district where the refugee camps are located, said Dhaka had issued a notice for the NGOs to immediately stop their activities across the country.

"The administration is taking action accordingly to the issued order," he told AFP, adding that the NGO Affairs Bureau also ordered bank transactions by the two agencies to be halted.

More than 130 aid agencies work in the three dozen squalid camps in Cox's Bazar, where the 740,000 Rohingya fled to, joining some 200,000 others already living here.

Foreign Minister 'A K Abdul Momen' last week said Dhaka would crackdown on aid agencies if they "do something going beyond their terms and references".

The Rohingya have refused to go home until Myanmar gives them guarantees of safety and citizenship status.

Tensions have ratcheted up in the camps in recent weeks as refugees marked the two-year anniversary of the 2017 exodus.

Four refugees have also been killed in the fallout over the murder of local ruling party official Omar Faruk, which police blame on Rohingya hitmen.

Bangladesh on Thursday said it has banned two aid agencies from Rohingya camps in the country's southeast, alleging they were telling refugees to reject repatriation to their homeland in Myanmar.

Bangladesh on Thursday said it has banned two aid agencies from Rohingya camps in the country's southeast, alleging they were telling refugees to reject repatriation to their homeland in Myanmar. The move came amid growing impatience from Dhaka about the presence of the refugees in the country, two years after some 740,000 were driven over the border by a military crackdown on the Muslim minority. The latest repatriation attempt by Bangladesh and Myanmar two weeks ago, the second in less than a year, failed with not a single refugee volunteering to cross the border back home. US-based Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and local organisation Al Markaz ul Islami were accused by the government's NGO Affairs Bureau of "instigating" the stateless minority against the recent repatriation attempt. Kamal Hossain, the government administrator of Cox's Bazar district where the refugee camps are located, said Dhaka had issued a notice for the NGOs to immediately stop their activities across the country. "The administration is taking action accordingly to the issued order," he told AFP, adding that the NGO Affairs Bureau also ordered bank transactions by the two agencies to be halted. More than 130 aid agencies work in the three dozen squalid camps in Cox's Bazar, where the 740,000 Rohingya fled to, joining some 200,000 others already living here. Foreign Minister 'A K Abdul Momen' last week said Dhaka would crackdown on aid agencies if they "do something going beyond their terms and references". The Rohingya have refused to go home until Myanmar gives them guarantees of safety and citizenship status. Tensions have ratcheted up in the camps in recent weeks as refugees marked the two-year anniversary of the 2017 exodus. Four refugees have also been killed in the fallout over the murder of local ruling party official Omar Faruk, which police blame on Rohingya hitmen.

Bangladesh bans two aid agencies from Rohingya refugee camps

Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has washed her hands of the Rohingya crisis, a UN rights investigator said Tuesday ahead of a meeting between South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and the tarnished democracy icon.

Yanghee Lee, a university professor in Seoul who is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights to Myanmar, said Suu Kyi was "terribly misguided and misinformed" about the abuses against the stateless Muslim minority in her country.

The Nobel laureate was under house arrest for years when Myanmar was a military dictatorship before her party won elections in 2015 by a landslide, in the first fully free vote for generations.

Hopes were high that she would usher in a new era of freedom, but more than 740,000 Rohingya have since been driven out of the Buddhist-majority country and into Bangladesh in a 2017 army crackdown.

The US in July banned Myanmar's army chief Min Aung Hlaing and other officers for their role in the campaign of "ethnic cleansing".

Suu Kyi was spared from the sanctions but no longer deserved to be called a democracy activist, Lee told AFP.

"She should step up and really speak out for the treatment that the Rohingya had suffered for decades," she told AFP.

"It's time for her to speak out and use the word, call them the way they identify themselves as the Rohingya."&nbsp;

Myanmar calls the persecuted minority "Bengali", treating them as illegal interlopers from Bangladesh and refusing to grant them citizenship or basic rights.

Lee -- who has been banned from entering Myanmar over her criticism of its government -- was speaking as South Korea's Moon, a former democracy activist himself was due to meet Suu Kyi later Tuesday as part of a tour of Southeast Asia.

South Korea is the sixth-largest foreign investor in Myanmar, but Lee said that meant Seoul was "inadvertently contributing" to rights violations against Rohingya and urged Moon to be "principled" during the encounter.

"Our president enjoys a great history of being a human rights lawyer," said Lee. "But I'm afraid he hasn't been really speaking out for human rights for people.

"I think it's a shame that we are joining the bandwagon of other countries that looks out for... their countries' economic interest before the suffering of the people," she said, describing the Rohingya crisis as the "worst case of ethnic genocide in the 21st century".

Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has washed her hands of the Rohingya crisis, a UN rights investigator said Tuesday ahead of a meeting between South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and the tarnished democracy icon.

Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has washed her hands of the Rohingya crisis, a UN rights investigator said Tuesday ahead of a meeting between South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and the tarnished democracy icon. Yanghee Lee, a university professor in Seoul who is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights to Myanmar, said Suu Kyi was "terribly misguided and misinformed" about the abuses against the stateless Muslim minority in her country. The Nobel laureate was under house arrest for years when Myanmar was a military dictatorship before her party won elections in 2015 by a landslide, in the first fully free vote for generations. Hopes were high that she would usher in a new era of freedom, but more than 740,000 Rohingya have since been driven out of the Buddhist-majority country and into Bangladesh in a 2017 army crackdown. The US in July banned Myanmar's army chief Min Aung Hlaing and other officers for their role in the campaign of "ethnic cleansing". Suu Kyi was spared from the sanctions but no longer deserved to be called a democracy activist, Lee told AFP. "She should step up and really speak out for the treatment that the Rohingya had suffered for decades," she told AFP. "It's time for her to speak out and use the word, call them the way they identify themselves as the Rohingya." Myanmar calls the persecuted minority "Bengali", treating them as illegal interlopers from Bangladesh and refusing to grant them citizenship or basic rights. Lee -- who has been banned from entering Myanmar over her criticism of its government -- was speaking as South Korea's Moon, a former democracy activist himself was due to meet Suu Kyi later Tuesday as part of a tour of Southeast Asia. South Korea is the sixth-largest foreign investor in Myanmar, but Lee said that meant Seoul was "inadvertently contributing" to rights violations against Rohingya and urged Moon to be "principled" during the encounter. "Our president enjoys a great history of being a human rights lawyer," said Lee. "But I'm afraid he hasn't been really speaking out for human rights for people. "I think it's a shame that we are joining the bandwagon of other countries that looks out for... their countries' economic interest before the suffering of the people," she said, describing the Rohingya crisis as the "worst case of ethnic genocide in the 21st century".

UN rights investigator on Myanmar lambasts Suu Kyi

UN rights experts voiced alarm Tuesday at the Myanmar military's incommunicado detention of Rakhine men and boys, as well as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/two-years-on-rohingyas-still-without-rights-status-or-justice-244567">allegations of torture and deaths</a> in custody.

They voiced grave concern at reports that numerous ethnic Rakhine men and boys had recently been taken into custody and held incommunicado for weeks at a time over terrorism allegations, with many reporting they were tortured while detained.

"The practice of incommunicado detention must be immediately brought to an end," the three experts, who are independent and do not speak for the world body, said in a statement.&nbsp;

"There must be a credible independent investigation into the allegations of torture and inhuman treatment, deaths in custody, and reliance on forced confessions in cases involving Arakan army-related allegations," they said.

"All perpetrators of such violations must be held accountable."

The conflict-scarred Rakhine state, the site of a deadly crackdown that in 2017 drove some 740,000 minority Rohingya Muslims into Bangladesh, has in recent months seen fierce battles between the military and the Arakan Army, a rebel group claiming to fight for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists.&nbsp;

The UN experts pointed to the case of Naing Aung Htun, who was rounded up with others in Kyaukyan village in Buthidaung on August 8, and who was held incommunicado until August 21.

He was allegedly given electric shocks by soldiers until he confessed to having ties to the Arakan army.

His father, who was finally permitted to visit him on August 22, reported he had sustained injuries to his face and complained of pain in his back, chest and head.

"We are distressed by the use of incommunicado detention where individuals are suspected of being associates of the Arakan army," said the experts including Yanghee Lee, a specialist on human rights in Myanmar.

"It is essential for detained people to be able to communicate with the outside world, especially with family members and their lawyer," they said, stressing that the practice "may facilitate torture".

They said they were particularly concerned about cases of incommunicado detention in light of reports "regarding at least 15 deaths in custody of men alleged to be associates of the Arakan army."

The signatories also included Agnes Callamard, an expert on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions, and Nils Melzer, experts on torture and other cruel inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

They called on the military to make the results of its ongoing investigation into those deaths public and to hold the perpetrators accountable.&nbsp;

They also urged a probe into an allegation that Naing Aung Htun was tortured, and said he should receive a fair trial, stressing that any confession made as a result of torture should be excluded from evidence against him.

 
&nbsp;

UN rights experts voiced alarm Tuesday at the Myanmar military's incommunicado detention of Rakhine men and boys, as well as allegations of torture and deaths in custody.

UN rights experts voiced alarm Tuesday at the Myanmar military's incommunicado detention of Rakhine men and boys, as well as allegations of torture and deaths in custody. They voiced grave concern at reports that numerous ethnic Rakhine men and boys had recently been taken into custody and held incommunicado for weeks at a time over terrorism allegations, with many reporting they were tortured while detained. "The practice of incommunicado detention must be immediately brought to an end," the three experts, who are independent and do not speak for the world body, said in a statement. "There must be a credible independent investigation into the allegations of torture and inhuman treatment, deaths in custody, and reliance on forced confessions in cases involving Arakan army-related allegations," they said. "All perpetrators of such violations must be held accountable." The conflict-scarred Rakhine state, the site of a deadly crackdown that in 2017 drove some 740,000 minority Rohingya Muslims into Bangladesh, has in recent months seen fierce battles between the military and the Arakan Army, a rebel group claiming to fight for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists. The UN experts pointed to the case of Naing Aung Htun, who was rounded up with others in Kyaukyan village in Buthidaung on August 8, and who was held incommunicado until August 21. He was allegedly given electric shocks by soldiers until he confessed to having ties to the Arakan army. His father, who was finally permitted to visit him on August 22, reported he had sustained injuries to his face and complained of pain in his back, chest and head. "We are distressed by the use of incommunicado detention where individuals are suspected of being associates of the Arakan army," said the experts including Yanghee Lee, a specialist on human rights in Myanmar. "It is essential for detained people to be able to communicate with the outside world, especially with family members and their lawyer," they said, stressing that the practice "may facilitate torture". They said they were particularly concerned about cases of incommunicado detention in light of reports "regarding at least 15 deaths in custody of men alleged to be associates of the Arakan army." The signatories also included Agnes Callamard, an expert on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions, and Nils Melzer, experts on torture and other cruel inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. They called on the military to make the results of its ongoing investigation into those deaths public and to hold the perpetrators accountable. They also urged a probe into an allegation that Naing Aung Htun was tortured, and said he should receive a fair trial, stressing that any confession made as a result of torture should be excluded from evidence against him.

UN experts decry incommunicado detentions, alleged torture in Myanmar

Bangladesh on Monday ordered operators to shut down mobile phone services to almost one million <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/fourth-rohingya-refugee-shot-dead-over-bangladesh-murder-247016">Rohingya refugees</a> living in camps in the country's southeast, an official said.

The move follows an outbreak of violence in recent weeks at the camps, most of whose residents fled into Bangladesh from Myanmar's Rakhine state two years ago following a military crackdown on the Muslim Rohingya minority.

It also comes after none of the refugees turned up in late August to return across the border to conflict-scarred Rakhine, when a fresh push to repatriate the refugees to Myanmar fell flat.

Telecommunications operators have seven days to submit reports on the actions they have taken to shut down networks in the camps, said the spokesman for the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), Zakir Hossain Khan.

"Many refugees are using mobile phones in the camps. We've asked the operators to take action to stop it," he told AFP, saying the decision was made on "security grounds".

The order stunned the Rohingya, one of their leaders said on condition of anonymity.

He said the ban would hugely affect Rohingya life, disrupting communications between different camps scattered across the border district of Cox's Bazar.

"We won't be able to communicate with our relatives living in Myanmar or other parts of the world," the leader said. Many Rohingya, he said, rely on remittances sent by their diaspora and usually receive phone calls informing them of the money transfers.

Bangladesh has in the past tried to restrict mobile phone access in the settlements. But the move was not enforced seriously, spawning booming markets of mobile phone sets and SIM cards in the camps.

Police spokesman Ikbal Hossain welcomed the decision, saying the refugees had been "abusing" mobile phone access to conduct criminal activities such as trafficking of methamphetamine pills worth hundreds of millions of dollars from Myanmar.

"It will definitely make a positive impact. I believe criminal activities will surely come down," he told AFP.

On Sunday police said a fourth Rohingya refugee was shot dead in the fallout over the murder of local ruling party official Omar Faruk by suspected Rohingya criminals.

Faruk's murder led hundreds of furious locals to block a highway leading to a refugee camp for hours on August 22, burning tyres and vandalising shops visited by refugees.

Rohingya refugees have said the recent bloodshed has created an atmosphere of fear in the camp, where security has been tightened.

Rights groups have previously accused Bangladesh police of extrajudicial killings.&nbsp;

'Isolate and victimise'&nbsp;

Local police said nearly 600 cases of drug trafficking, murders, robberies, gang fighting and family feuds were filed against the refugees since they arrived.

Bangladeshi security forces have shot dead a total of at least 34 Rohingya over the past two years, mostly for alleged methamphetamines trafficking.

There was no immediate reaction to the phone service shutdown from United Nations agencies, but a UN official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it "would further isolate and victimise the already persecuted people".&nbsp;

"Seeking to limit their communication amongst themselves, with Bangladeshis and people abroad, will serve to push them towards negative coping habits be it crime, violence or extremism," he added.

The two countries signed a repatriation agreement in November 2017 but a first offer to return was rejected by refugee camp leaders in October.

UN investigators have said the 2017 violence in Myanmar warrants the prosecution of top Myanmar generals for "genocide".

Bangladesh last week accused Buddhist-majority Myanmar of lacking the "will" to repatriate the Rohingya, after the latest failed attempt to return the stateless minority.

The Rohingya are not recognised as an official minority by the Myanmar government, which considers them Bengali interlopers despite many families having lived in the country for generations.

Bangladesh on Monday ordered operators to shut down mobile phone services to almost one million Rohingya refugees living in camps in the country's southeast, an official said.

Bangladesh on Monday ordered operators to shut down mobile phone services to almost one million Rohingya refugees living in camps in the country's southeast, an official said. The move follows an outbreak of violence in recent weeks at the camps, most of whose residents fled into Bangladesh from Myanmar's Rakhine state two years ago following a military crackdown on the Muslim Rohingya minority. It also comes after none of the refugees turned up in late August to return across the border to conflict-scarred Rakhine, when a fresh push to repatriate the refugees to Myanmar fell flat. Telecommunications operators have seven days to submit reports on the actions they have taken to shut down networks in the camps, said the spokesman for the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), Zakir Hossain Khan. "Many refugees are using mobile phones in the camps. We've asked the operators to take action to stop it," he told AFP, saying the decision was made on "security grounds". The order stunned the Rohingya, one of their leaders said on condition of anonymity. He said the ban would hugely affect Rohingya life, disrupting communications between different camps scattered across the border district of Cox's Bazar. "We won't be able to communicate with our relatives living in Myanmar or other parts of the world," the leader said. Many Rohingya, he said, rely on remittances sent by their diaspora and usually receive phone calls informing them of the money transfers. Bangladesh has in the past tried to restrict mobile phone access in the settlements. But the move was not enforced seriously, spawning booming markets of mobile phone sets and SIM cards in the camps. Police spokesman Ikbal Hossain welcomed the decision, saying the refugees had been "abusing" mobile phone access to conduct criminal activities such as trafficking of methamphetamine pills worth hundreds of millions of dollars from Myanmar. "It will definitely make a positive impact. I believe criminal activities will surely come down," he told AFP. On Sunday police said a fourth Rohingya refugee was shot dead in the fallout over the murder of local ruling party official Omar Faruk by suspected Rohingya criminals. Faruk's murder led hundreds of furious locals to block a highway leading to a refugee camp for hours on August 22, burning tyres and vandalising shops visited by refugees. Rohingya refugees have said the recent bloodshed has created an atmosphere of fear in the camp, where security has been tightened. Rights groups have previously accused Bangladesh police of extrajudicial killings. 'Isolate and victimise' Local police said nearly 600 cases of drug trafficking, murders, robberies, gang fighting and family feuds were filed against the refugees since they arrived. Bangladeshi security forces have shot dead a total of at least 34 Rohingya over the past two years, mostly for alleged methamphetamines trafficking. There was no immediate reaction to the phone service shutdown from United Nations agencies, but a UN official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it "would further isolate and victimise the already persecuted people". "Seeking to limit their communication amongst themselves, with Bangladeshis and people abroad, will serve to push them towards negative coping habits be it crime, violence or extremism," he added. The two countries signed a repatriation agreement in November 2017 but a first offer to return was rejected by refugee camp leaders in October. UN investigators have said the 2017 violence in Myanmar warrants the prosecution of top Myanmar generals for "genocide". Bangladesh last week accused Buddhist-majority Myanmar of lacking the "will" to repatriate the Rohingya, after the latest failed attempt to return the stateless minority. The Rohingya are not recognised as an official minority by the Myanmar government, which considers them Bengali interlopers despite many families having lived in the country for generations.

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As many as 3,931 patients suffering from dengue are undergoing treatment at different hospitals and clinics across Bangladesh, said officials of Health Crisis Management and Control Room of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Monday.

According to the DGHS, of the 3,931 dengue patients, around 2,177 patients are taking treatment in Dhaka division while a total of 1,754 are hospitalized outside the capital, Dhaka Tribune reported.

Adding that as many as 71,962 patients got admitted to different hospitals and clinics across Bangladesh since January this year, the health department said, "Of them, 67,843 patients have returned home after recovery.

"According to official data, dengue claimed 57 lives so far and 865 new dengue patients were admitted to different hospitals in the last 24 hours in Bangladesh.

As many as 3,931 patients suffering from dengue are undergoing treatment at different hospitals and clinics across Bangladesh, said officials of Health Crisis Management and Control Room of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Monday.

As many as 3,931 patients suffering from dengue are undergoing treatment at different hospitals and clinics across Bangladesh, said officials of Health Crisis Management and Control Room of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Monday. According to the DGHS, of the 3,931 dengue patients, around 2,177 patients are taking treatment in Dhaka division while a total of 1,754 are hospitalized outside the capital, Dhaka Tribune reported. Adding that as many as 71,962 patients got admitted to different hospitals and clinics across Bangladesh since January this year, the health department said, "Of them, 67,843 patients have returned home after recovery. "According to official data, dengue claimed 57 lives so far and 865 new dengue patients were admitted to different hospitals in the last 24 hours in Bangladesh.

Around 3,931 patients undergoing treatment as dengue wreaks havoc in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has signed an agreement to buy 718 megawatts of electricity from India's Reliance Power over the next 22 years, the company said on Sunday.

Reliance plans to invest about $1 billion to set up a local plant by 2022 to provide the electricity. The plant will be built at Meghnaghat in Narayanganj, over 20 km&nbsp;southeast of the capital Dhaka, according to a project report seen by Reuters at an event held to close the deal.

The combined-cycle power plant will be fueled by gas and regasification liquefied natural gas and be fully owned by Reliance.

Bangladesh agreed on a deal with China last week to build renewable energy projects providing 500 megawatts by 2023 at an investment cost of $400 million, in the latest sign of Beijing's growing role in the South Asian nation's energy sector.

Bangladesh's installed power capacity is more than 20,000 MW and the country aims to provide electricity to all of its more than 160 million people by 2020.

The country's energy sector has grown 12.5% in recent years, with renewable making up only 3% of the total, government officials said. Bangladesh plans to boost this to 10% by 2022.

Riva Ganguly Das, India's high commissioner in Bangladesh, said the country's economy had grown rapidly over the last five years especially in the power and energy sectors.

"We are committed to help Bangladesh in the journey of becoming a middle-income country by 2021 and we are exploring all paths to develop the strategy of joint cooperation," Das said at the event.

Bangladesh has signed an agreement to buy 718 megawatts of electricity from India's Reliance Power over the next 22 years, the company said on Sunday. Reliance plans to invest about $1 billion to set up a local plant by 2022 to provide the electricity.

Bangladesh has signed an agreement to buy 718 megawatts of electricity from India's Reliance Power over the next 22 years, the company said on Sunday. Reliance plans to invest about $1 billion to set up a local plant by 2022 to provide the electricity. The plant will be built at Meghnaghat in Narayanganj, over 20 km southeast of the capital Dhaka, according to a project report seen by Reuters at an event held to close the deal. The combined-cycle power plant will be fueled by gas and regasification liquefied natural gas and be fully owned by Reliance. Bangladesh agreed on a deal with China last week to build renewable energy projects providing 500 megawatts by 2023 at an investment cost of $400 million, in the latest sign of Beijing's growing role in the South Asian nation's energy sector. Bangladesh's installed power capacity is more than 20,000 MW and the country aims to provide electricity to all of its more than 160 million people by 2020. The country's energy sector has grown 12.5% in recent years, with renewable making up only 3% of the total, government officials said. Bangladesh plans to boost this to 10% by 2022. Riva Ganguly Das, India's high commissioner in Bangladesh, said the country's economy had grown rapidly over the last five years especially in the power and energy sectors. "We are committed to help Bangladesh in the journey of becoming a middle-income country by 2021 and we are exploring all paths to develop the strategy of joint cooperation," Das said at the event.

Bangladesh signs deal with Reliance Power to buy electricity

A fourth <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/third-rohingya-shot-dead-in-bangladesh-refugee-camp-245799">Rohingya refugee was shot dead</a>, Bangladesh police said Sunday, amid growing fallout over the murder of a ruling party official that sparked a violent backlash from locals.

There has been an outbreak of violence in recent weeks at refugee camps in southeast Bangladesh, where nearly one million Rohingya live after fleeing crackdowns in Myanmar.

At least five Rohingya men have died in clashes in the settlements -- allegedly over gang violence -- while an Awami League official was shot in the head in late August at Jadimura camp in the border town of Teknaf.

Police blamed Omar Faruk's death on Rohingya hitmen, and have shot dead three refugees over the past week in connection with the incident.&nbsp;

The latest to die was 36-year-old Nur Mohammad, who officers allege was a Rohingya gang leader who arrived in Bangladesh in 1992 and was operating in the hills around the refugee camps.

Local officials say Mohammad was a drug trafficking kingpin involved in using refugees to smuggle yaba, a popular methamphetamine pill, from across the Myanmar border. &nbsp;&nbsp;

"He was arrested over Faruk's murder on Saturday. We took him to find out his weapons in a hill when his accomplices fired on police (on Sunday)," police spokesman Ikbal Hossain told AFP.

"We fired back and later found Mohammad's bullet-riddled body."

Rights groups have previously accused Bangladesh police of extrajudicial killings.

Hundreds of enraged locals living near Jadimura camp stormed the settlement after Faruk's murder, looting and vandalising scores of Rohingya shops and houses. &nbsp;

Police said they have stepped up security in the camp, but the European Commission said some refugees have fled Jadimura and were taking shelter at other sites following the violence.

Humanitarian work by aid agencies has also been disrupted, affecting some 100,000 people, the commission said. &nbsp;

Rohingya leader Mohammad Noor told AFP there was a "tense" atmosphere in the camps and refugees were "living in panic".

The incident comes in the wake of a second failed attempt to begin the repatriation of around 740,000 who fled a 2017 military offensive against the Muslim minority in Myanmar.

With Mohammad's death, at least 34 Rohingya have been killed by Bangladeshi security forces since the 2017 exodus, according to police.

A fourth Rohingya refugee was shot dead, Bangladesh police said Sunday, amid growing fallout over the murder of a ruling party official that sparked a violent backlash from locals.

A fourth Rohingya refugee was shot dead, Bangladesh police said Sunday, amid growing fallout over the murder of a ruling party official that sparked a violent backlash from locals. There has been an outbreak of violence in recent weeks at refugee camps in southeast Bangladesh, where nearly one million Rohingya live after fleeing crackdowns in Myanmar. At least five Rohingya men have died in clashes in the settlements -- allegedly over gang violence -- while an Awami League official was shot in the head in late August at Jadimura camp in the border town of Teknaf. Police blamed Omar Faruk's death on Rohingya hitmen, and have shot dead three refugees over the past week in connection with the incident. The latest to die was 36-year-old Nur Mohammad, who officers allege was a Rohingya gang leader who arrived in Bangladesh in 1992 and was operating in the hills around the refugee camps. Local officials say Mohammad was a drug trafficking kingpin involved in using refugees to smuggle yaba, a popular methamphetamine pill, from across the Myanmar border. "He was arrested over Faruk's murder on Saturday. We took him to find out his weapons in a hill when his accomplices fired on police (on Sunday)," police spokesman Ikbal Hossain told AFP. "We fired back and later found Mohammad's bullet-riddled body." Rights groups have previously accused Bangladesh police of extrajudicial killings. Hundreds of enraged locals living near Jadimura camp stormed the settlement after Faruk's murder, looting and vandalising scores of Rohingya shops and houses. Police said they have stepped up security in the camp, but the European Commission said some refugees have fled Jadimura and were taking shelter at other sites following the violence. Humanitarian work by aid agencies has also been disrupted, affecting some 100,000 people, the commission said. Rohingya leader Mohammad Noor told AFP there was a "tense" atmosphere in the camps and refugees were "living in panic". The incident comes in the wake of a second failed attempt to begin the repatriation of around 740,000 who fled a 2017 military offensive against the Muslim minority in Myanmar. With Mohammad's death, at least 34 Rohingya have been killed by Bangladeshi security forces since the 2017 exodus, according to police.

Fourth Rohingya refugee shot dead over Bangladesh murder

Former Bangladeshi students are turning to social media to detail allegations of "rampant" sex abuse at the hands of teachers and older pupils in Islamic schools, breaking their silence on a taboo topic in the conservative country.

Child abuse in madrasas has long gone unreported in Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation where hardline Islamist groups draw their support from the tens of thousands of schools across the nation of 169 million people.

But in the wake of a brutal murder of a teenage girl who was burnt to death in April after accusing her headteacher of sexual assault, such incidents have been subject to national scrutiny and debate for the first time.

In July alone, at least five madrasa teachers have been arrested on rape charges against boys and girls under their care.

Several senior students were also held by police over the rape and beheading of an 11-year-old orphan, while a Dhaka cleric and seminary teacher was charged with sexually assaulting a dozen boys aged between 12 and 19.

The accusations reveal how students from poorer and rural backgrounds, whose parents send them to madrasas as they are more affordable than secular schools, are disproportionately affected by the abuse.

Rights activists said the assaults -- which range from violent rapes to forcible kissing -- are so pervasive that the cases reported in the media are just the tip of the iceberg.

"For years these crimes eluded spotlight due to sensitivity of the subject," Abdus Shahid, the head of child rights' group Bangladesh Shishu Odhikar Forum, told AFP.

"Devout Muslims send children to madrasas, but they don't speak up about these crimes as they feel it would harm these key religious institutions."

'Widespread and rampant'

Hojaifa al Mamduh, who studied in three madrasas in the capital Dhaka, published a series of posts on Facebook in July detailing the abuses endured by students including himself.

The assaults were "so widespread in the madrasas, every student who has studied there knows about it", Al Mamduh, now a journalism student at a Dhaka University, told AFP.

"Many madrasa teachers I know consider sex with children a lesser crime than consensual extramarital sex with women. Since they live in the same dormitories, the perpetrators can easily hide their crimes and put pressure on their poor students to keep mum."

The 23-year-old's posts generated heated debate in the country, and he was personally threatened.

He was accused of being "an agent of Jews and Christians" and smearing the "sacred image" of a madrasa by one social media user.

Another reminded him of the fate of Avijit Roy, a top Bangladeshi atheist blogger and writer who was hacked to death by Islamist extremists in 2015.

But his posts encouraged others to share their own experiences of alleged sex crimes.

Mostakimbillah Masum, who published his story on a feminist website, said he was "first raped by an elder student in my madrasa when I was just seven".

The 25-year-old told AFP that another one of his rapists was "a teacher who made me unconscious and raped me. It traumatised me permanently".

"Dozens of madrasa students I know were either raped or witnessed rapes and sexual assaults of their fellow students," he added. "It is so rampant almost every madrasa has a fair share of such stories."

Culture of impunity

Madrasa teachers have strongly denied the allegations, calling them "negative propaganda".

Mahfuzul Haq, a principal of a madrasa in Mohammadpur where Al Mamduh studied, told AFP "one or two isolated incidents can happen" as there were 20,000 madrasas in the South Asian nation.

"Those who don't like to study in madrasas are spreading these stories," he added.

A spokesman for hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islami, which represents a coalition of thousands of madrasas, said his organisation told a recent conference of 1,200 principals to take "tough stand against any sex crimes".

However, there has been growing acknowledgment of the alleged offences.

Pro-Islamic website Fateh24.com, viewed as a voice for the madrasas, pointed out in a report that children were at risk in smaller seminaries run by just one or two teachers and that had no oversight from governing bodies.

Editor Iftekhar Jamil, a former madrasa student and teacher, added that the cases were "not isolated" incidents and called for closed-circuit cameras to be installed in students' sleeping quarters.

"Instead of looking for conspiracies, these madrasas must take up responsibility and adopt an action plan to tackle these crimes," he told AFP.

Former Bangladeshi students are turning to social media to detail allegations of "rampant" sex abuse at the hands of teachers and older pupils in Islamic schools, breaking their silence on a taboo topic in the conservative country.

Former Bangladeshi students are turning to social media to detail allegations of "rampant" sex abuse at the hands of teachers and older pupils in Islamic schools, breaking their silence on a taboo topic in the conservative country. Child abuse in madrasas has long gone unreported in Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation where hardline Islamist groups draw their support from the tens of thousands of schools across the nation of 169 million people. But in the wake of a brutal murder of a teenage girl who was burnt to death in April after accusing her headteacher of sexual assault, such incidents have been subject to national scrutiny and debate for the first time. In July alone, at least five madrasa teachers have been arrested on rape charges against boys and girls under their care. Several senior students were also held by police over the rape and beheading of an 11-year-old orphan, while a Dhaka cleric and seminary teacher was charged with sexually assaulting a dozen boys aged between 12 and 19. The accusations reveal how students from poorer and rural backgrounds, whose parents send them to madrasas as they are more affordable than secular schools, are disproportionately affected by the abuse. Rights activists said the assaults -- which range from violent rapes to forcible kissing -- are so pervasive that the cases reported in the media are just the tip of the iceberg. "For years these crimes eluded spotlight due to sensitivity of the subject," Abdus Shahid, the head of child rights' group Bangladesh Shishu Odhikar Forum, told AFP. "Devout Muslims send children to madrasas, but they don't speak up about these crimes as they feel it would harm these key religious institutions." 'Widespread and rampant' Hojaifa al Mamduh, who studied in three madrasas in the capital Dhaka, published a series of posts on Facebook in July detailing the abuses endured by students including himself. The assaults were "so widespread in the madrasas, every student who has studied there knows about it", Al Mamduh, now a journalism student at a Dhaka University, told AFP. "Many madrasa teachers I know consider sex with children a lesser crime than consensual extramarital sex with women. Since they live in the same dormitories, the perpetrators can easily hide their crimes and put pressure on their poor students to keep mum." The 23-year-old's posts generated heated debate in the country, and he was personally threatened. He was accused of being "an agent of Jews and Christians" and smearing the "sacred image" of a madrasa by one social media user. Another reminded him of the fate of Avijit Roy, a top Bangladeshi atheist blogger and writer who was hacked to death by Islamist extremists in 2015. But his posts encouraged others to share their own experiences of alleged sex crimes. Mostakimbillah Masum, who published his story on a feminist website, said he was "first raped by an elder student in my madrasa when I was just seven". The 25-year-old told AFP that another one of his rapists was "a teacher who made me unconscious and raped me. It traumatised me permanently". "Dozens of madrasa students I know were either raped or witnessed rapes and sexual assaults of their fellow students," he added. "It is so rampant almost every madrasa has a fair share of such stories." Culture of impunity Madrasa teachers have strongly denied the allegations, calling them "negative propaganda". Mahfuzul Haq, a principal of a madrasa in Mohammadpur where Al Mamduh studied, told AFP "one or two isolated incidents can happen" as there were 20,000 madrasas in the South Asian nation. "Those who don't like to study in madrasas are spreading these stories," he added. A spokesman for hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islami, which represents a coalition of thousands of madrasas, said his organisation told a recent conference of 1,200 principals to take "tough stand against any sex crimes". However, there has been growing acknowledgment of the alleged offences. Pro-Islamic website Fateh24.com, viewed as a voice for the madrasas, pointed out in a report that children were at risk in smaller seminaries run by just one or two teachers and that had no oversight from governing bodies. Editor Iftekhar Jamil, a former madrasa student and teacher, added that the cases were "not isolated" incidents and called for closed-circuit cameras to be installed in students' sleeping quarters. "Instead of looking for conspiracies, these madrasas must take up responsibility and adopt an action plan to tackle these crimes," he told AFP.

Bangladeshis speak up about 'rampant' rapes in Islamic schools

Bangladesh on Thursday accused Myanmar of lacking the "will" to repatriate the Rohingya, as the spat between the countries grew over the recent failed attempt to return the stateless minority to their homes.

Nearly a million Rohingya live in squalid camps in southeast Bangladesh, 740,000 of whom fled a 2017 military offensive against the Muslim minority in Myanmar.

A fresh push to repatriate the refugees to Myanmar fell flat last week, with no-one turning up to return across the border to conflict-scarred Rakhine state.

Briefing foreign diplomats in the capital Dhaka, Bangladesh's foreign minister AK&nbsp;Abdul Momen questioned Naypyidaw's resolve in taking back the Rohingya.

He said that Myanmar had failed to "effectively dismantle" the internally displaced person (IDP) camps in Rakhine and resettle people to their original homes.&nbsp;

The lack of action was a "clear manifestation of lack of will on the part of Myanmar to repatriate and integrate these persecuted people", the foreign ministry said in a statement quoting Momen's briefing to the diplomats.&nbsp;

The region remains riven by religious and ethnic conflict.&nbsp;

Myanmar earlier blamed Dhaka for the failure, saying it had not followed correct procedure when distributing so-called "verification forms" to potential returnees -- a controversial form of identification that falls short of granting Rohingya citizenship.

Bangladesh retorted saying Myanmar's claims were baseless.

The two countries signed an agreement in November 2017 to send back all Rohingya who had fled to Bangladesh in the past two years. The first repatriation offer was rejected by refugee camp leaders in October.

The Rohingya are not recognised as an official minority by the Myanmar government, which considers them Bengali interlopers despite many families having lived in the country for generations.

Bangladesh on Thursday accused Myanmar of lacking the "will" to repatriate the Rohingya, as the spat between the countries grew over the recent failed attempt to return the stateless minority to their homes.

Bangladesh on Thursday accused Myanmar of lacking the "will" to repatriate the Rohingya, as the spat between the countries grew over the recent failed attempt to return the stateless minority to their homes. Nearly a million Rohingya live in squalid camps in southeast Bangladesh, 740,000 of whom fled a 2017 military offensive against the Muslim minority in Myanmar. A fresh push to repatriate the refugees to Myanmar fell flat last week, with no-one turning up to return across the border to conflict-scarred Rakhine state. Briefing foreign diplomats in the capital Dhaka, Bangladesh's foreign minister AK Abdul Momen questioned Naypyidaw's resolve in taking back the Rohingya. He said that Myanmar had failed to "effectively dismantle" the internally displaced person (IDP) camps in Rakhine and resettle people to their original homes. The lack of action was a "clear manifestation of lack of will on the part of Myanmar to repatriate and integrate these persecuted people", the foreign ministry said in a statement quoting Momen's briefing to the diplomats. The region remains riven by religious and ethnic conflict. Myanmar earlier blamed Dhaka for the failure, saying it had not followed correct procedure when distributing so-called "verification forms" to potential returnees -- a controversial form of identification that falls short of granting Rohingya citizenship. Bangladesh retorted saying Myanmar's claims were baseless. The two countries signed an agreement in November 2017 to send back all Rohingya who had fled to Bangladesh in the past two years. The first repatriation offer was rejected by refugee camp leaders in October. The Rohingya are not recognised as an official minority by the Myanmar government, which considers them Bengali interlopers despite many families having lived in the country for generations.

Bangladesh says Myanmar lacks 'will' to repatriate Rohingya

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