30 indigenous Mro children who were forcibly converted to Islam are found in the Iqra Tahsinul Quran Madrasa at Idgaon in Cox’s Bazar district. An Islamic organization took advantage of the poverty of the Mro children from Alikadam, Thanchi and Lama of Bandarban district.

Bangladesh forcibly converts indigenous children to Islam in Cox's Bazar

30 indigenous Mro children who were converted to Islam are found in the Iqra Tahsinul Quran Madrasa at Idgaon in Cox’s Bazar district.

An Islamic organization took advantage of the poverty of the Mro children from Alikadam, Thanchi and Lama of Bandarban district. The Islamic organization forcibly converted them to Islam and kept them in the madrasa under duress. The children are forcibly imparted Islamic education in the madrasa.

The Mro children are cramped in a room at level-3 of the madrasa building, which is under construction. Many of the children do not know or cannot memorize the names of their own villages. Also, it is not known whether their parents are aware of the conversion of their children to Islam in the name of providing education.

Dr. Mohammad Yusuf Ali is instrumental behind the drives of getting the Mro children converted to Islam. Dr. Mohammad Yusuf Ali is one of many who are playing their crafty and well-groomed role in alluring the poor indigenous children belonging to Mro, Chakma and Tripura communities of Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban to education and financial facilities and taking them to madrasas and converting to Islam.

This information came to light when an indigenous Mro person visited the Madrasa on 12 May 2025. He informed that Dr. Mohammad Yusuf Ali’s 6 storied Hospital is being constructed at DC Road in Jalalabad, Cox’s Bazar. The Iqra Tahsinul Quran Madrasa is located near the Hospital.

The source states: "I got a snap shot before entering to the residential hall. Above the Gate, there is a sign board having written: Iqra Tahsinul Quran Madrasa. The residential building is of 3 or 4 storied structure and somehow made for the time being. All the Mro children stay at 3rd floor. The building is fragile. As I got to the 3rd floor, I happened to see many Mro children. I employed my best effort to establish a rapport almost with all. I set myself on a drive to know their names, addresses and the classes they study in. Most of them could not tell me exactly. Some children were hauling bricks from the down floors."

The identity of the children so far gathered by the source are:

1. Langrung Mro of Manrua village, Thanchi
2. Mangcri Mro of Aungpung Para, Thanchi
3. Rengnong Mro of Sakkhoy village, Bolibazar, Thanchi

The others could not say their names and the names of their villages accurately. Some of them could somehow pronounce the name Alikadam, their Upazilla (sub-district). Some others were asleep for being tired of fatigue.

In the past, the Tripuri children were more in number but now the Mro children constitute the majority.

In 2023-2024, the indigenous volunteers rescued 14 Mro children from the Idgaon Madrasa of Cox’s Bazar. They were sent to various Buddhist orphanages in Khagrachari.

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