The Election Commission (EC) has designated 30 upazilas of four districts of the Chittagong region as ‘risky’ in order to stop Rohingya voters. Among them, Cox’s Bazar and Rangamati districts have eight upazilas each, while Chittagong district and Bandarban district each have seven upazilas.

To prevent Rohingya voters, a scrutinising committee has been formed at each upazila, led by the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO). The upazila election officer has been made the member secretary of each such committee. Helal Uddin, secretary of the EC Secretariat, made this announcement yesterday (Saturday) at Chittagong Circuit House during a meeting of the special committee held to update the voter list.

They are calling the ‘risky’ upazilas ‘special’ upazilas for the purpose of updating the voter list.

Brig. Gen. (retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury, election commissioner, said the issue of Rohingyas has become a huge problem. “They have become voters. If they become voters, they get National Identification Cards (NIDs), and become entitled to all governmental facilities.”

“Lack of monitoring by the authorities and sponsorship by influential quarters have helped many Rohingyas become voters. The situation is such that the third and fourth generations of Rohingyas have become public representatives in Bangladesh,” Chowdhury said.

Helal Uddin said, “From July 25 to August 9 this year, data was collected in a bid to update the existing voter list. The information was collected by scrutinising and enlisting, which will continue till November 5, 2017.”

All the eight upazilas of Cox’s Bazar district have been designated as ‘special areas’. These upazilas are: Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Chakoria, Teknaf, Ramu, Pekua, Ukhiya, Moyeshkhali and Kutubdia. Eight upazilas out of 10 in Rangamati have also been marked as ‘special upazilas’. These are: Rangamati Sadar, Longdu, Rajesthali, Bilaichhari, Kaptai, Bagachhari, Juraichhari and Borkol.

All the seven upazilas of Bandarban have been declared ‘special upazilas’. These are: Bandarban Sadar, Ruma, Thanchi, Roangchhari, Alikadam, Lama and Naikhonchhari. All seven upazilas of Chittagong district have been designated as ‘special’. These are: Boalkhali, Patiya, Anowara, Chandanish, Satkania, Loaghara and Banshkhali.

However, Chittagong superintendent of police (SP) Nur-e-Alam Mina has requested the authorities to add some more upazilas to this category. He said, “There are floating Rohingyas in the hilly areas of Patyia and Chandanish upazilas. Besides, there are more Rohingyas in the hilly areas of Raozan and Fatickchhari. In recent times, Rohingyas have taken shelter at Sitakunda and Mirsarai areas as there are industries and employment opportunities there.” “There are Rohingyas in Solimpur Jungle of Sitakunda and Bayezid area of Chittagong city. These should also be marked as ‘special’ areas,” iterated Mina.

Acting Chittagong divisional commissioner Shankar Ranjan Shaha presided over the meeting while Brig. Gen. Saidul Islam, director general of the National Identity Card (NID) programme, Md Moniruzzaman, deputy inspector-general (DIG) of Chittagong range and Saleh Md Tanvir, additional commissioner (crime and operations) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) spoke at it, among others.