Arakan News Agency
In what is described as a historic step, the Bangladeshi government launched an initiative on Monday to distribute legal SIM cards to the Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar camps. This aims to enhance secure communication, digital inclusion, and reduce crimes associated with the use of illegal SIM cards.
The initiative was led by the Office of the Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) under the leadership of Commissioner Mizanur Rahman, who handed over the first legal SIM cards to the heads and members of the Executive Committee of the Unified Council of Rohingya (UCR) during an official ceremony held in the camps.
According to the commissioner’s office, in the first phase, 10,000 legal SIM cards will be distributed, and the program will gradually expand in upcoming phases to include all camps.
This step follows years of many refugees relying on unregistered SIM cards due to restrictions on official communication services.
Commissioner Mizanur Rahman stated during the event, “All illegal SIM cards currently used by the Rohingya will be banned, and only legal SIM cards will be allowed. This is an important step to uphold the rule of law, prevent criminal activities, and stop unethical practices within the camps.”
This step is expected to enhance transparency and monitoring within the camps, support communication for humanitarian, educational, and administrative purposes, and reflects the Bangladeshi government’s commitment to managing refugee situations through a safer and more organized digital system.
On their part, the Unified Council of Rohingya (UCR) expressed its gratitude to the Bangladeshi government, affirming that this step will contribute to enhancing community leadership, ensuring secure communication, and maintaining order and peace within the camps.
Bangladesh hosts more than a million Rohingya refugees in the Cox’s Bazar camps, classified by the United Nations as the largest refugee camp in the world. The refugees have been living there in difficult humanitarian conditions since fleeing Myanmar in 2017 due to the “genocide” campaign launched against them by the Myanmar army. Their displacement to Bangladesh has renewed since the outbreak of fighting in Arakan State between the Myanmar army and the Buddhist Arakan militias (Arakan Army) in November 2023.
