“On June 16, we were not able to sleep at night as some local goons entered the camp where we had built new huts near the forest after demolition of our huts near the UNHCR official camp by the authorities. The goons tried to rob and attempted to rape the refugee women,”

1. Authority destroyed unregistered refugee camp at Kutupalong
Written by Webmaster KALADAN PRESS
Thursday, 18 June 2009 20:50
The refugee camp was established in 2008 when Bangladesh started to enlist her citizens for voting
list. The Rohingya refugees who had live with local people in the border area before they join the
camp.
One view of refugee camp before destroyed
Another view side of refugee camp before destroyed

2. Another view of refugee camp before destroyed
Western side of official camp which the refugee lived

3. At raining season, the view of refugee camp
The refugees who live here struggle for their survival as hard labourers, fishermen, farmers, etc..
But, they said they enjoyed as they had huts to sleep under and to keep their families safe. But, on
June 15, the Bangladesh authorities (Police, Ansar, forest department and Camp-in-charge of
official camp) destroyed this place making the refugees homeless for that time. The authorities
destroyed more than 500 houses of refugee which were situated near the official camp.
According to an official source, the removing of huts from near the official camp was issued before,
but the refugees were not shifted. So, the authorities had to take action and told them to stay 100
feet from the official camp.
The destroyed huts near official camp of eastern side

4. Sothern side of camp view, the area of destroyed huts
The view of the destroyed area at the southern official camp

5. Destroyed area from south-west side
Old refugee huts are seen from 100ft of official camp

6. Old refugee huts are seen from 100ft of official camp
Newly built huts after being relocated near the forest

7. Women build their huts if no man in the family
New built refugee huts
Kutupalong, Bangladesh: Rohingya refugees living in the unregistered refugee camp in
Kutupalong under Ukiya police station, near the Bangladesh-Burma border, are at risk, said Meah, a
member of the refugee committee.

8. Authority destroyed the refugee's huts near official camp
“On June 16, 2009, we were not able to sleep at night as some local goons entered the camp where
we had built new huts near the forest after demolition of our huts near the UNHCR official camp by
the authorities. The goons tried to rob and attempted to rape the refugee women,” Meah told
Kaladan News.
“All the adult men folk are guarding and protecting the camp. The new place is close to the forest
where local goons can easily disappear,” he said.
The camp was destroyed by local authorities, the official camp-in-charge, police, Ansar (Reserved
Police) and forest department officials on June 17. The refugees were unable to change the location
where the authorities wanted to as it is much closer to the forest. There, the refugees would have
been told by locals not to build their huts. There is no official order to setup the camp. It was just
said by word of mouth not a written one, said Mohamed Hussain, an elder from the refugee camp.
The old refugee's huts after being destroyed within 100 ft

9. According to an official source, the removing of huts from near the official camp was issued before,
but the refugees were not shifted. So, the authorities had to take action and told them to stay 100
feet from the official camp.
Some huts were destroyed by police and Ansar, the sources said.
Newly building huts in news place
“They (authorities) destroyed our huts and cut the wood pillar like pieces of fire wood. It is not
useful for us. We are unable to go to the forest as the forest department has banned us from cutting
firewood. We are facing difficulties in building new huts to find wood or to buy as we have no food
or money,” said Kamal, a refugee with three children.
the women are building their home if no men in the family
We need to build the hut quickly as the monsoon is near and to keep our children in a safe place
from the rains, he added.

10. “What we need is security. How long will our brothers, sons and fathers keep us safe?” asked Sarah
Khatoon.
the situation of refugee camp in raining season
The new place has no water facilities as before, where we had used the tube wall of the official
camp, and their bathroom and restroom, she added.
SOURCED: KALADAN PRESS – Link to photo article:
http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2016:photo-news-
authority-destroy-the-unregistered-refugee-camp-of-kutupalong-&catid=104:june-2009&Itemid=2
http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=104%3Ajune-
2009&id=2015%3Arefugees-in-kutupalong-insecure&Itemid=2