Bangladesh bans cellphone services in Rohingya camps

An official says Bangladesh's telecommunications regulatory body has asked operators to shut down cellphone services in sprawling camps in the southeast where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar live, citing a security threat.

Zakir Hossain Khan, a spokesman for the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, said Tuesday they asked the operators to reply to the order within seven days.

More than 700,000 Rohingya fled a harsh security crackdown in Myanmar two years ago and are staying in refugee camps in Bangladesh.

In recent months, more than 40 Rohingya have been killed amid concerns that many refugees are involved with the smuggling of illegal drugs from Myanmar.