A gunfight between police and Muslim refugees from Myanmar left dozens wounded Thursday in Bangladesh, an official said. The shootout started after a group of refugees attacked a police officer and a government official who were visiting their camp in the southeastern district of Cox's Bazar, said local administrator Mohammad Habibur Rahman. The camp has about 8,000 Islamic refugees who entered Muslim-majority Bangladesh in 1991-92, claiming discrimination by the military regime in neighboring Myanmar, which is mostly Buddhist. A radical group among the refugees is demanding permanent settlement in Bangladesh.
| Just chocked full of radical groups in that part of the world, aren't we. |
On Thursday, refugees armed with guns, knives and sticks severely beat visiting police officer Mohammad Wahid, Rahman said. It was not immediately clear what sparked the fight. When police arrived to rescue Wahid, a gunfight and hand-to-hand brawl broke out, Rahman said.
| "Everybody was kung-fu figh-ting ..." |
Dozens of people, including Nurul Alam Choudhury, the government official in charge of the camp, were hurt. Wahid was hospitalized and in serious condition, Rahman said. Choudhury escaped with slight injuries. Police arrested nine refugees, while others involved in the fight fled into nearby forests. Police were looking for the fugitives, Rahman said.
| Why bother? Let the tigers handle it. |
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