Teknaf, Bangladesh: Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh say that police and local authorities have been harassing and extorting money from them on a daily basis.

A refugee leader from Kutupalong camp who declined to be named said that one resident, Mohamad Alam, 28, along with his younger sisters went to visit a relative at Nayapara camp on November 27 who had been admitted to the camp clinic.

They were permitted to enter the camp to visit their relative and left to return to Kutupalong about 10am, but when they arrived they were detained outside the gate by Sub-Inspectorate Nepal police, a relative of the residents said.

A cousin of the siblings, Mohamad Ayas, 14, was informed of the incident and came from Nayapara camp to intervene but was severely beaten.

Later in the afternoon, the detained refugees were released after paying 600 taka, said a relative of the siblings.

Many refugees have reported similar arbitrary arrests, beatings and extortion by the sub-inspectorate police, which were recently assigned to the camps for security reasons, said a refugee leader.