Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh held a rally in Ukhiya, Cox`s Bazar to demand safe return to their villages in Myanmar with citizenship. The rally was held at Ukhiya Lambashia Camp No. 1 on the occasion of World Refugee Day on Tuesday afternoon. Thousands of Rohingyas participated there with various demands and slogans. The children were wearing Myanmar school dress.
The Rohingya leaders said in the rally, "I came to Bangladesh not to be happy, but to save my life as a victim of genocide." We don`t want to stay here a moment. We don`t want that kind of life. I want to go back to my country Myanmar. We are drawing the attention of the world community in order to persuade Myanmar to meet our requests."
Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH) leader and Rohingya refugee Master Md. Rafiq, Master Md. Kamal and others.
Master Kamal said, `We want to return to our country with our rights. We don`t want such a sheltered life anymore. I want to go to my country and spend the rest of my life. Because we are citizens of Myanmar and not of Bangladesh. We will return only if our citizenship, recognition and the land of our village are returned."
He said, "Refugee Day comes and goes but the fate of Rohingyas is not changing." On this day, may no one fall into such a situation again. May today be the last refugee day."
Rohingya leader Mohammad Rafiq said, ``People of all countries of the world want to live freely in their own country. We are Rohingyas and we also have land, where our ancestors are buried - we want to stay there. We don`t want to live like this anymore. The world community should take the initiative, we want to return to our country, that is our only demand."
Additional DIG Syed Harunur Rashid, commander of the 14 armed police battalion engaged in maintaining law and order in this camp, said, "The Rohingyas have gathered at two places on the occasion of the World Refugee Day in my camp. More than five thousand Rohingyas participated there. No untoward incident occurred anywhere. Their rally ended peacefully. There they demanded to go back to their native country Myanmar."
