Thousands of Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh in recent months, official says

DHAKA - Around 8,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh in recent months, escaping

escalating violence in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state

, according to Bangladeshi officials.

The violence has intensified as fighting between Myanmar’s ruling junta and the Arakan Army, a powerful ethnic militia drawn from the Buddhist majority, continues to worsen.

“We have information that around 8,000 Rohingya crossed into Bangladesh recently, mostly over the last two months,” said Mr Mohammad Shamsud Douza, a senior official in charge of refugees for the Bangladeshi government. “Bangladesh is already overburdened and unable to accommodate any more Rohingya,” he told Reuters on Sept 4.

The Bangladesh government had not previously provided any estimate of how many Rohingya have crossed over in the last few months.

The government will hold a “serious discussion at the Cabinet” within the next two to three days to address the crisis, Bangladesh’s de facto foreign minister, Mr Mohammad Touhid Hossain, told reporters late on Sept 3.

While expressing sympathy for the Rohingya, Mr Hossain said the country no longer has the capacity to provide humanitarian shelter to additional refugees.

“It is not possible to fully seal the border,” he said, adding that efforts will be made to prevent further infiltration.

Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh held rallies in camps on Aug 25, marking the seventh anniversary of the 2017 military crackdown that forced them to flee Myanmar, and demanding an end to violence and safe return to their homeland.

Over one million Rohingya currently live in overcrowded camps in southern Bangladesh, with little hope of returning to Myanmar, where they are largely denied citizenship and other basic rights.

The recent surge in violence is the worst the Rohingya have faced since the 2017 Myanmar military-led campaign, which the United Nations described as having genocidal intent.

Rohingya who recently fled to Bangladesh have urged the government to provide them with shelter.

“How long can we stay with relatives in such a cramped space?” said a Rohingya refugee who fled to Bangladesh in August with his wife and parents.

“We appeal to the government to provide us with shelter and ensure we receive food and other essential assistance.”

In August, Mr Hossain said that Bangladesh could not accept more Rohingya refugees and called on India and other countries to take greater action.

He also urged the international community to apply more pressure on the Arakan Army to cease attacks on the Rohingya in Rakhine state. REUTERS