Bangladesh Border Guards Accused of Assaulting and Repatriating Rohingya Refugees

In February of last year, Fortify Rights, a human rights organization, reported that more than 300 Rohingya refugees were allegedly assaulted by Bangladeshi border guards. The organization further disclosed that these refugees had been forcibly returned to Myanmar at least six times.

“Amy Smith, Executive Director of Fortify Rights, condemned the actions of Bangladeshi border guards, accusing them of beating and repatriating refugees fleeing genocide and brutality in Myanmar, despite the escalating violence and conflict in the region.”

In 2017, Bangladesh opened its doors to 700,000 Rohingya refugees. “The Rohingya, escaping the ongoing genocide and other atrocities in Myanmar, deserve protection, and the Bangladeshi border guards should be held accountable for violating their rights,” urged the executive director of Fortify Rights.

“Between February and April 2024, the Fortify Rights group conducted interviews with nine Rohingya refugees from Maungdaw Township who fled due to the fighting and genocide in Rakhine State, and six of them claimed to have been beaten by Bangladeshi border guards.”

Amy Smith called upon Bangladesh and other governments to hold Myanmar accountable for mass atrocities and to prioritize the protection of refugees over repatriation.

“The international community must unite in referring the situation in Myanmar to the ICC prosecutor before it’s too late, and we must collectively ensure that the people of Myanmar receive justice without delay,” she added.

Nearly 1 million Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh from Rakhine State in 2017 due to the genocide by the Burmese army, where they continue to face persecution.

Ref & Photo: Fortify Rights/UNHCR
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