Bangladesh police stop pro-Rohingya march to border

Bangladeshi police have stopped thousands of Muslim activists from marching on the border with Myanmar in protest against a crackdown on Rohingya Muslims.

Thousands of Muslims belonging to the Islami Andolan Bangladesh party gathered in front of Baitul Mukarram national mosque in the capital, Dhaka, for the march on the southeastern border on Sunday.

The angry demonstrators chanted slogans, carrying placards denouncing Myanmar's Nobel laureate and state counselor, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Rafiqul Islam, a local police chief, said 6,000 people had arrived for the protest, adding that the march was cancelled by mutual consent and "came to a halt as we mutually discussed the march would hamper public life."

Party spokesman, Atiqur Rahman, however, accused the police of "forcefully" stopping and arresting them, adding, "They (police) stopped our activists and randomly arrested many of us. We strongly condemn such actions of the administration."

An ongoing military crackdown in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine has sent 27,000 Rohingya fleeing into Bangladesh over the past weeks.  Survivors have recounted horrific stories of mass murder, gang rape and torture at the hands of Myanmar's troops.

More than 230,000 Rohingya are already living in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has stepped up patrols and border guards have prevented hundreds of boats packed with Rohingya Muslim refugees from entering the country over the past few months.

The government in Dhaka has come under pressure from Muslim groups and the opposition to open its border to the fleeing Rohingya.

The recent crisis has galvanized protests in Muslim countries around the region.

Human Rights Watch urged countries from the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) on Sunday to make strong efforts at an emergency meeting of the group to resolve the ongoing Rohingya crisis in Myanmar. ASEAN’s upcoming meeting is scheduled for Monday in Myanmar’s Yangon.

Rakhine has been under military siege since October, when unidentified elements launched a deadly raid on a police post. Myanmar's government blamed the attack on militants whom it said were linked to the Rohingya.

There have been numerous reports of rape, murder, and arson against the Muslim population in the state. However, violence against the Rohingya precedes the current military siege.

Myanmar's government denies full citizenship to the members of the Rohingya despite their long-time presence in Rakhine.

The UN says the Rohingya are one of the most persecuted communities in the world.

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