A day-old baby and its mother were among the latest Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in Myanmar to be denied entry into neighbouring Bangladesh, which kept its border firmly shut Friday.
Bangladesh is under increasing international pressure to allow in refugees escaping communal violence in Myanmar’s western state of Rakhine, but shows no signs of relenting, having turned away boat-fulls of Rohingya since Monday.
A coast guard station chief told AFP the mother and baby, born on Thursday, were doing fine and their boat — carrying another 42 Rohingya Muslims — was pushed back to Myanmar waters, despite warnings about squally weather and rain.
A patrol team intercepted the boat near Bangladesh’s southern-most Saint Martin Island early Thursday but could not turn it away immediately because the boat’s engine was not working, said Lieutenant Badruddoza, who uses one name.
