The minister made the remark while talking to reporters after attending a program organized by Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence in the capital's Mirpur area.

He said the government was providing humanitarian assistance to the Rohingyas who had already entered the country crossing the border illegally.

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Coast Guard were patrolling round-the-clock to check the influx of Rohingyas, Asaduzzaman added.

Hundreds of Rohingyas, a Muslim minority in Myanmar's Rakhine state, have sneaked into Bangladesh through several border points, including the Naf river, since the Myanmar army started crackdown on them in October.

The United Nations on Wednesday said at least 10,000 Rohingyas had entered Bangladesh in recent weeks after fleeing violence in Myanmar.

However, locals and the president of Cox's Bazar civil society claimed that at least 30,000 Rohingyas crossed into Bangladesh in the last one month.

The newly-arrived Rohingyas were making temporary huts in Teknaf's Leda and Ukhiya's Kutupalang camps, reports our Cox's Bazar correspondent.

Meanwhile, more than 200 Rohingyas entered Teknaf through six border points —two in Hnila and four in Whykang unions — Thursday morning.

Of them, 15 families comprising nearly 100 people, including women and children, took shelter at the Kutupalang camp, said Abu Siddique, president of Kutupalang Rohingya camp management committee.

He said about 11,000 Rohingyas had taken shelter in that camp alone since the violence started in Myanmar in October.

Dudu Mia, president of Leda Rohingya camp management committee, said at least 60 people took refuge in the camp Thursday.

Humayra Begum, a Rohingya woman, said she arrived in the Kutupalang camp from Myanmar's Khiyari Para village early Thursday morning. Then a broker helped her reach the camp and find a shelter there.

The 30-year-old woman gave birth to a son just seven days ago. She along with her three sons entered Bangladesh, leaving behind her husband in Myanmar.

Lt Col Abujar Al Jahid, commanding officer of 2 BGB Battalion in Teknaf, said they prevented 11 boats, carrying 10 to 15 Myanmar people each, from entering the Bangladesh territory through the Naf river between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

Lt Col Imran Ullah Sarkar, commanding officer of 34 BGB Battalion in Cox's Bazar, said they stopped 19 Rohingyas from crossing into Bangladesh through Ukhiya and Ghumdhum border point in Bandarban Thursday.

He added that 453 Rohingyas had been sent back to Myanmar in the last one month.

Popular

PDI-P will likely be part of opposition: Ganjar

Indonesia one step from Olympics after beating South Korea

Bahlil leads task force to boost sugar, bioethanol production in Papua