The police have foiled a wedding ceremony at a residential hotel in Cox's Bazar city and detained 63 Rohingyas.
The law enforcers also detained 19 foreign nationals during the raid on Sunday and seized their passports. Police said the Rohingyas gathered in the wedding ceremony without any permission from the camp authorities.
Local people said the traditional “mejban” was hosted during the wedding of two Rohingya women with two Australian nationals. However, the police said the information was incorrect.
Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, additional superintendent of police in Cox's Bazar, said that the raid was conducted at Hotel Sea Pearl-2 in the LightHouse area of the hotel-motel zone between 5pm and 9pm on Sunday.
The grooms, Abdul Hamid, 32, and Mohammad Ilyach, 24, are Australian citizens of Myanmar Rohingya origin. Their relatives live in various Rohingya camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf.
Brides Khatija Begum, 16, and Hasina Akter, 17, are residents of Balukhali camp. Among those detained are 63 Rohingya citizens and 19 foreigners, the police official said.
Of the arrestees, 12 are Australian citizens of Rohingya origin, and seven are American citizens. Besides, one of the foreign nationals is Australian by birth.
On Sunday afternoon, police received information that a large number of registered Rohingyas gathered at the hotel without the permission of the administration. Later, police arrested around 100 people on the spot.
During the raid, the police seized the passports of 19 foreign nationals. Sensing the presence of the police, the hotel's manager and employees fled the scene.
Rafiqul Islam said the passports of foreign nationals were seized for verification, and the detained Rohingyas were taken into police custody.
Regarding the Rohingyas, he said that further measures would be taken after discussion with the officials of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner's office.
Zainal Abedin, security in-charge at the hotel, said that the 19 foreign nationals had been staying there for the past month. After arriving at the hotel on Sunday morning, he found the Rohingyas preparing food.
“I don't know whether the event was a 'mejban' or a traditional wedding. On the occasion of the ceremony, these Rohingyas slaughtered a cow and a buffalo. However, I heard from various people that the meal was organized on the occasion of the marriage of two Rohingya women to two foreign nationals of Rohingya origin. "
He said: "After the incident, the employees, including the hotel manager, ran away. They can tell what happened."
Faridul Islam, a shopkeeper next door, gave similar information.
Hamida Begum, a resident of Rohingya camp number 19 in Ukhiya, said a person named Abdul Hamid—who is staying in Australia—organized the event as an annual ritual for his deceased father. They came to the hotel to dine at the invitation of the host. They would go back to the camp after the feast. But before that, the police came to the hotel and arrested them.
Rafiqul Islam said the employees of the hotel, including the manager, organized the party without permission. The foreign nationals did not inform the police about their location.
