Rohingya Trapped by Traffickers in Bangladesh

For the Rohingya refugees who fled unimaginable violence in Myanmar, the refugee camps in Bangladesh were meant to be a place of safety. But recently, a dark reality has emerged as human traffickers target these vulnerable people, abducting them from the camps and demanding ransom for their release.

In the past week, traffickers have taken hundreds of Rohingya men, women, and children from the camps, promising them a way out or a better future. Many are held in remote hillsides east of Marine Drive in Teknaf, hidden from the world and out of reach of authorities. Families, already struggling with loss and hardship, now face the impossible choice of paying large sums of money to secure their loved ones’ lives.

A notorious group, known as the Shofi Group, has been behind many of these recent kidnappings. Last week, they seized a group of Rohingya near the Nayapara Refugee Camp, where people are crowded in makeshift shelters and struggling to survive. These captives are being held in a secluded guava garden on a hillside, about 700 meters from the C Block of the camp. The group demands 200,000 Bangladeshi Taka (roughly $2,300 USD) per person for their release – an unimaginable amount for families who have next to nothing. Just yesterday, after agonizing days of fear, a few families managed to gather enough money to free three of their loved ones. But 68 still remain in captivity, facing daily abuse and threats, waiting for help that may not come.

Saiful, a Rohingya journalist who has been investigating the trafficking networks, speaks with deep concern. “These traffickers lure people in, telling them they’ll find a way to Indonesia or Malaysia, places where they think they can build a new life,” he shared. “But first, they make them prisoners, and then they make their families beg for their freedom.” Saiful estimates that over 300 Rohingya are currently held by traffickers in the Marine Drive hills, poised to be forced onto dangerous boats bound for other countries.

For the Rohingya who survived genocide and fled to Bangladesh seeking refuge, this new wave of exploitation is devastating. They find themselves once again at the mercy of others, trapped between traffickers and the harsh realities of camp life, where basic needs are often unmet.

Rohingya Vision News, echoing the pleas of countless families, calls on the Government of Bangladesh to intervene urgently. The Rohingya community deserves the protection of the law, a chance to live without fear, and the assurance that those who prey on them will be brought to justice. The world cannot turn away as families are torn apart and lives are bartered. It is time to stop the suffering and give these refugees the dignity and safety they deserve.

Rohingya Vision News