Bangladesh turns away 1,500 refugees from Myanmar

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh on Tuesday turned away three boats carrying 1,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in neighboring Myanmar, bringing to 1,500 the number of refugees blocked in recent days, officials said.

“They have been chased away,” police official Jahangir Alam said by phone from Saint Martins Island in the Bay of Bengal after the three boats attempted to approach the shore of the island. “We are keeping our eyes open so that nobody can enter Bangladesh illegally.”