Despite efforts by the authorities, Rohingyas still manage to leave their camps in Cox's Bazar for other parts of the country that can potentially make the crisis even worse, multiple government sources have told Dhaka Tribune.
However, they stressed that such incidents have come down significantly as compared with one or two years ago.
When contacted, a top official of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), the Cox's Bazar-based government body responsible to deal with the Rohingya issue, acknowledged that such incidents take place occasionally due to some constraints.
The residents are not allowed to leave their camps without prior permission from the authorities concerned.
According to few officials, the Rohingyas get out of the camps through rough terrain where vigilance is not strict, with the help of the people from the host community and by 'managing' law-enforcing personnel on duty.
When contacted by this correspondent, officials concerned, including police, said they are doing their best to stop this completely.
Despite quite a few check posts from the camps to Cox's Bazar town and beyond, the Rohingyas are sometimes found near Chittagong city, which is roughly 175km away from their places of residence.
"While checking different vehicles we find Rohingyas. Not much nowadays, but they're found," a police man of a temporary police check post at Moizzar Tek, a place right before Shah Amanat Bridge of Chittagong, told this correspondent recently.
"Other day, we found a group of 12 Rohingyas in a bus," he said.
“We send the Rohingyas we find without authorization back to the camps,” he added.
Another policeman said: "Our efforts naturally cannot stop every Rohingya. So, some Rohingyas get through."
“With our limited personnel and other logistical limitations, it is difficult to ensure that Rohingyas will not leave the camps all together," said a police sub-inspector on duty at one of the 34 Rohingya camps.
“We can perhaps stop those who use roads, but we cannot always stop the people who use the hills to get out of Cox’s Bazar,” said another policeman.
"This happens sometimes. Among such a large number of people, one or two people can get out," Additional RRRC Mohammad Shamsud Douza said.
"We are doing our best. But, there are some limitations including the terrain and fencing around the settlements," he said.
"We are trying to address those limitations," he added.
To a question, the official said, "The fencing around the camps has not yet been completed. But, hopefully, the work will be completed soon."
