Govt denies rumours of sealing Rohingya camps before polls

The government has denied rumours that Rohingya camps would be sealed ahead of the upcoming election, assuring that there will be no restriction on movement, Home Affairs Ministry Senior Secretary Nasimul Gani said.

He made the remarks after meetings of Advisory Committee on Government Purchase and  Advisory Committee on Economic Affairs at the Secretariat n Tuesday.

Dismissing claims that Rohingya camps might be locked down, he said movement would remain normal. “Why wouldn’t they be able to move outside the compound? Of course, people will be able to move. People have to go out to earn their livelihood,” he said.

He added that the authorities are fully aware of the situation and are maintaining vigilance. “There is no extra concern regarding the Rohingya issue during the election. Now there are cards, and entry will be through scanning,” he noted.

Nasimul Gani also addressed reports of threatening phone calls received by the Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Superintendent of Police (SP) of Bagerhat. He said many such calls originate from auto-generated numbers, making it difficult to trace the callers. “We are aware of the issue and are remaining alert,” he said.

On a separate issue, the senior secretary said the government has approved the purchase of vehicles for the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) from Pragati Industries, Bangladesh’s state-owned automobile manufacturer, to ensure public funds remain within the public sector.

Clarifying concerns about the timing of the purchase, he said the approval was not election-related. “Only the approval has been given today. The procurement process will take time, and the vehicles will arrive much later,” he said, adding that the process would be phased, with Pragati Industries importing components from Japan after the order is placed.

The meetings were held at the Cabinet Division conference room with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair.

NSA