Body of Rohingya Woman Recovered from Ukhia Pond

Police in Ukhia, Cox’s Bazar, recovered the body of a Rohingya woman from a water body within a refugee camp on Thursday morning. The deceased has been identified as 33-year-old Marjan Begum, a resident of the Balukhali refugee camp (Camp-19). Her body was discovered at approximately 8:30 am in the Tajnimarkhola refugee camp (Camp-20 Extension).

Background of the Deceased

Marjan Begum was the daughter of Nur Mohammad and had been living in the Balukhali camp. Records indicate that she had been married to Hashem Ullah, a Rohingya youth, for approximately ten years. According to family members and community leaders, Marjan had been missing since Wednesday evening. Despite informal searches by the family, her whereabouts remained unknown until the following morning.

Discovery and Recovery Operation

At approximately 8:15 am on Thursday, refugees residing in Camp-20 observed the body of a woman, clad in a burqa, floating in a pond situated between blocks S-4 and B-7. The witnesses immediately alerted the law enforcement agencies stationed within the camp circuit.

Upon receiving the report, a patrol team from the Walapalong police outpost, under the jurisdiction of the 14th Armed Police Battalion (APBn), arrived at the scene. The 14th APBn is one of the specialised units responsible for maintaining security and order within the sprawling refugee settlements in Cox’s Bazar. With the assistance of several Rohingya women present at the site, the officers retrieved the body from the water.

Official Statements and Investigation

The authorities have initiated a formal investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the death. Assistant Superintendent of Police Abu Hanif, the Walapalong Camp Commander, confirmed that the deceased was a registered resident of the camps. He stated that law enforcement is currently investigating how the body ended up in the pond and whether foul play was involved.

The Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Ukhia Police Station, Md. Mujibur Rahman, noted that the exact cause of death has not yet been established. “Police are working to uncover the mystery behind this incident,” the OC remarked. Following the recovery and preliminary documentation at the scene, the body was transported to the Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital morgue in the afternoon for an autopsy.

Statistical Overview of the Incident

Context of Camp Security

The refugee camps in Ukhia and Teknaf are divided into several zones, each overseen by specific battalions of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn). Camp-20 Extension and Camp-19 are part of a vast network of settlements housing over a million displaced people. Security operations in these areas involve regular patrols and the monitoring of block-based movements.

Standard operating procedure in cases of unexplained deaths within the camps requires a forensic examination to rule out homicide or accidental drowning. The police investigation will focus on Marjan Begum’s movements between her home in Camp-19 and the location where she was found in Camp-20 Extension to establish a timeline of events. Further legal actions will be determined based on the post-mortem findings provided by Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital.