Bangladesh detains 38 Rohingya Muslims fleeing Burma

 

Rohingya families, including 16 children, crossed by fishing boat amid continuing violence and forced displacement in Burma's Arakan State

Muslim Network TV—November 11, 2026

© File Photo

DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Bangladeshi border guards have detained 38 Rohingya Muslims, including 16 children and 14 women, after they arrived by fishing boat from Burma, as the persecuted minority continues to face violence and forced displacement in its homeland.

The group, comprising eight men, 14 women and 16 children, reached the coastal town of Teknaf in southeastern Bangladesh early Monday after crossing the sea from Burma’s Arakan State.

According to Bangladeshi media, the Rohingya were transported aboard a fishing boat owned by Farid Mia, son of Yusuf Ali, from the Mithapanir Chhara area of Teknaf Sadar union. Local sources said the boat operator received a substantial payment for bringing them across the border.

After reaching the coast near Teknaf Marine Drive, the families reportedly took shelter at the home of a woman identified as Fatema Khatun in the Habib Chhara area.

Acting on information about their arrival, members of Border Guard Bangladesh raided the house and detained all 38 Rohingya, including the children.

Rashid Mia, a member of Teknaf Sadar Union Parishad, confirmed that a local boat owner had transported the group from Burma in exchange for money.

Lt. Col. Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury, commanding officer of BGB’s Teknaf Battalion-2, confirmed the detentions and said legal proceedings were underway.

The circumstances surrounding the group’s departure remain unclear, including whether they were directly affected by recent forced displacement orders issued by the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group controlling large parts of Arakan State.

However, their arrival comes amid growing concerns over the safety of Rohingya Muslims remaining in Burma, where the community has endured decades of systematic discrimination, military persecution and mass displacement.

The Arakan Army has increasingly faced accusations of targeting Rohingya civilians through violence, intimidation, arbitrary detention and forced displacement in territories under its control.

In recent weeks, the armed group has issued orders requiring Rohingya residents in several areas to leave their homes within specified deadlines.

Affected communities reportedly include Ah Nauk Pyin village in Rathedaung Township and areas of Kyauktaw and Mrauk-U, raising fears of further displacement among Rohingya families already living under severe restrictions.

Rohingya rights monitors have continued documenting abuses against the Muslim minority, including killings, forced displacement and restrictions on civilian movement.

Bangladesh already hosts more than one million Rohingya refugees, most of whom fled a brutal military crackdown in Burma in 2017 that the United Nations has described as involving genocidal acts.

The latest detentions underscore the precarious circumstances facing Rohingya families attempting to reach safety, even as insecurity and persecution continue to make conditions in their homeland dangerous.