New Delhi, Jan 24 (NationPress) With just days remaining until Bangladesh's general elections on February 12, intelligence reports have alerted the government about the potential misuse of Rohingyas in unlawful and political activities. This has led to the dismissal of the Election Commission's suggestion to seal refugee camps during the voting period, as reported by a local media outlet.

According to the Dhaka Tribune, the intelligence agency has indicated that enforcing the Election Commission's recommendation to isolate the camps during the electoral process is impractical due to the camps' extensive area and inadequate infrastructure.

Currently, thousands of Rohingyas are living in temporary shelters in Cox's Bazar, a town in southeastern Bangladesh, approximately 100 km south of Chittagong. They fled Myanmar in 2017 amid a military crackdown in Rakhine state, which borders Bangladesh. As the population in the Cox’s Bazar camps increases, some refugees are also moving into neighboring states like India.

Earlier this month, Bangladesh's Election Commissioner, Abul Fazal Mohammad Sanaullah, proposed sealing the Rohingya camps and enhancing border security to avert any potential involvement of refugees in the elections. This recommendation stems from concerns that vested interests might exploit the refugees to influence voting or disrupt the electoral process.

On January 8, a meeting of the National Task Force convened by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concluded that Rohingyas should not be manipulated for malicious purposes during the elections. While the option of sealing the camps was contemplated, the consensus favored implementing a “security blanket” instead of a total lockdown.

The need for robust border monitoring was emphasized, with officials expressing concerns about possible infiltration from Myanmar during the electoral period. The intelligence agency's assessment, submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs on January 22, deemed sealing the camps “unrealistic.”

The extensive area housing hundreds of thousands of refugees, along with its insufficient infrastructure, would not be able to support such a measure. It raised alarms about the potential for the refugees to be mobilized for sabotage activities. Additionally, there have been allegations of Rohingyas being illegally included in voter lists, heightening fears of fraudulent voting. They could also be drawn into rallies, canvassing, or other election-related activities, possibly breaching electoral regulations.

Despite these concerns, the agency maintained that sealing the camps is impractical. Instead, it advocates for a layered security strategy. The intelligence agency has proposed a detailed plan that includes upgrading surveillance through the repair and activation of damaged CCTV cameras and boundary walls in the camps, establishing checkpoints on routes from the camps to polling stations a week prior to election day, and detaining Rohingyas found outside the camps.

Moreover, it suggests conducting raids to seize illegal weapons from the camps and nearby areas, ensuring that security personnel remain stationed in the camps without reassignment during the election period. Political parties have been formally warned against involving Rohingyas in electoral activities, with violations deemed serious misconduct.

This report emerges as Bangladesh faces various allegations related to the polls, including vote manipulation, concerns regarding the neutrality of security forces, and conflicts between major political parties. The Rohingya situation adds a further layer of complexity.

Reports indicate that the Election Commission has registered over 127.7 million voters nationwide, but the issue of Rohingyas on voter lists—however limited—has raised significant alarms. Political stakeholders worry that even minimal participation could be exploited to undermine the legitimacy of the results.

Meanwhile, there is growing concern in Bangladesh regarding the increasing use of religion in politics, particularly during elections, as highlighted in a recent article from the online Bengali news portal Banglanews24.

The article noted that this trend arises from a prolonged absence of a democratic political climate in the country, compounded by the influence of religious extremism and the rise of radical political factions both domestically and internationally.

It pointed out political pledges promising “paradise” for supporting certain electoral symbols, while others advocate for the enforcement of Islamic laws.

The upcoming general election is being conducted under an interim government following the political void created after the Sheikh Hasina regime was ousted during a student-led protest in August 2024, leading to her exile, while her party, the Awami League, remains barred from political activities.