A joint force operation in Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar detained 622 Rohingyas, including men, women, and children, for living illegally outside designated refugee camps. The operation, led by Cox’s Bazar Executive Magistrate Monju Bin Afnan, began early Sunday and covered areas such as Palongkhali, Thaingkhali, and Balukhali. Authorities also fined local landlords a total of 157,000 taka in 13 separate cases and sentenced three house owners to jail for renting homes to Rohingyas.

According to the upazila administration, the detainees included 211 men, 196 women, and 200 children who had been living in rented houses across Ukhiya. The arrested individuals will be processed through the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC). Officials said the operation aimed to maintain law and order ahead of the national election and prevent unauthorized settlement outside the camps.

Law enforcement agencies stated that such drives would continue regularly to ensure security and discipline in the area, as illegal Rohingya settlements had previously been linked to deteriorating law and order conditions.