Cox’s Bazar: Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) turned back four boats carrying Rohingya Muslims who tried to intrude in Bangladesh through the border points of River Naf in Cox’s Bazar.

BGB members sent the boats to Myanmar from Cox’s Bazar from Monday evening until early hours of Tuesday.

BGB Teknaf 2 Battalion Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Abu Jar Al Jahid said BGB patrolling team sent back four boats packed with Rohingya refugees from the zero point of Bangladesh while they tried to enter through several border points in River Naf.

The BGB CO said there were around 12 Rohingyas in each boat.

In past few weeks, Bangladeshi border guards have prevented more than 1,000 Rohingya, including many women and children, from entering the country by boat, officials told AFP.

At least 30,000 have been internally displaced in Rakhine and many have tried to reach Bangladesh over the last month despite heightened border patrols, and sought refuge amongst the Rohingya refugee population that already live on the Bangladesh side.

Violence in Rakhine — home to the stateless ethnic group loathed by many of Myanmar’s Buddhist majority — has surged in the last month after security forces poured into the area following a series of attacks on police posts blamed on local militants.

A UN official said last week Myanmar is engaged in ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Rohingya Muslims, as reports emerged of troops shooting at villagers as they tried to flee.

However, Myanmar’s new civilian government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, has rejected the allegations.