Ukhiya, Aug 20 (V7N) — Teachers dismissed from learning centers operating in the Rohingya refugee camps have resumed protests in Ukhiya, demanding immediate reinstatement. On Wednesday morning, demonstrators blocked entry points to several refugee camps, disrupting the movement of NGO vehicles. The protest escalated when police intervened with baton charges, resulting in injuries and multiple arrests.
 
Sources from the police and eyewitnesses confirm that the protest began at around 8:00 AM when the dismissed teachers gathered at the entrance to a refugee camp near the Ukhiya sub-district headquarters. The demonstrators obstructed access for NGO-operated vehicles, prompting police to disperse the crowd. At least three teachers, including women, were injured during the baton charge. Police detained protest spokesperson Saidul Islam Shamim and six others at the scene.
 
Later, at around 11:00 AM, another group of demonstrators visiting injured colleagues at the Ukhiya Upazila Health Complex was also dispersed by police. Among those arrested during this second round were student leaders and activists, including Jiniya Sharmin Ria, a representative of the NCP and participant in the 2024 mass uprising in Cox’s Bazar.
 
In total, 28 individuals were detained throughout the day. The list of detainees includes Saidul Islam Shamim (23), Sujon Rana (26), Minuara Begum (20), Sazia Begum (24), Asmaul Hosna (26), Abu Imran (30), Tarekur Rahman (30), Sakib (26), Delwar Hossain Naushad (30), and Urmi Akter (25), among others.
 
A video circulating on social media shows Jiniya Sharmin protesting as police apprehended her, exclaiming, “I am speaking for rights. Am I a member of Chhatra League?”
 
News of the arrests spread quickly, prompting around 500 protesters to gather in front of Ukhiya Police Station. Demonstrators chanted slogans and called for the immediate release of those detained. The protest, which lasted approximately eight hours, included demands for the removal of Officer-in-Charge Arif Hossain.
 
At approximately 1:30 PM, a five-member delegation led by SM Suja Uddin, Joint Secretary of the National Citizens’ Party (NCP), entered the police station to negotiate. Suja Uddin condemned the arrests, stating, “Ukhiya is not a separate country where protests are forbidden. We came for a peaceful solution.”
 
Soon afterward, a delegation from the local BNP unit, including convener Sarwar Jahan Chowdhury, joined the talks. Around 2:45 PM, clashes broke out between protesters and police outside the station, with stones thrown and a brief chase injuring at least three individuals.
 
By 5:00 PM, a written agreement was reached, and all 28 detainees, including Jiniya Sharmin, were released into the custody of political leaders.
 
Speaking to reporters later at the Ukhiya Central Shaheed Minar, the released teachers reiterated that their dismissal from UNICEF-funded learning centers has caused financial distress. They claimed that roughly 1,500 local teachers were terminated in July due to alleged funding cuts. Despite prior assurances from the administration, no resolution had been reached, prompting renewed protests.
 
Monday's earlier demonstration saw teachers block the Cox’s Bazar–Teknaf highway for nearly 10 hours, causing severe disruption to traffic and stranding hundreds of passengers.
 
Currently, around 400,000 registered Rohingya refugees live in 33 camps across Ukhiya and Teknaf. Over 4,500 learning centers provide basic education to approximately 230,000 Rohingya children and adolescents. Most of these centers employ local Bangladeshi teachers funded by international agencies, including UNICEF.
 
Additional Police Superintendent (Media) Md. Jasim Uddin Chowdhury said that protesters were dispersed to minimize public inconvenience. “Some individuals were taken into custody, and following intervention from political leaders and submission of written commitments, they were released,” he confirmed.
 
According to police, the 27 released teachers—11 male and 16 female—were freed around 5:30 PM into the custody of political representatives.
 
The released teachers include: Saidul Islam Shamim, Rakibul Islam Saikat, Mushtasin Nahiyan, Delwar Hossain Naushad, Al Amin, Abdul Hamid, Aminur Rahman, Riazul Haque, Shahidul Islam Sakib, Sujon Rana, Tarekur Rahman, Jiniya Sharmin Ria (coordinator), Minu Ara Begum, Sabina Yasmin, Asmaul Hosna, Sazia Begum, Sajeda Akter, Masuma Begum, Parvin Akter, Yasmin Akter, Amena Sultana, Urmi Akter, Afsana Munni, Rabea, Yasmin, and Rasheda.
 
As the standoff ends, uncertainty remains over whether the teachers will be reinstated or if protests will continue in the coming weeks.
 
END/SIU/SMA/