A mob killed two Rohingya community leaders at the Cox’s Bazaar refugee camp in Bangladesh in yet another illustration of the worsening security situation in the world’s largest refugee camp.
Police spokesperson Faruk Ahmed said that Rohingya “miscreants” attacked the leaders late on Saturday at Camp 13, describing the incident as one of the worst crimes in recent months. “More than a dozen Rohingya miscreants hacked Maulvi Mohammad Yunus, 38, who is the head majhi of Camp 13. They also killed Mohammad Anwar, 38, another majhi. Yunus died on the spot and Anwar died at a hospital,” said Ahmed. Majhi is a local term for a Rohingya camp leader.
Also hearing that sub-majhi Yunus was killed in the same incident. #Rohingya refugees tell me they are fearful and hopeless in the camps. Durable solutions are needed including freedom of movement and third country resettlement.
— John Quinley III (@john_hq3) October 15, 2022
A senior officer of an “elite police unit” tasked with overseeing security in the camps told AFP that the targeted killings had been carried out by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), an armed group fighting the military in Myanmar. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the officer added that “the internal clashes in Myanmar are impacting the security situation in the camps.”
Other Rohingya leaders, as well as the nephew of one of the victims, also blamed ARSA for the attack. “ARSA killed my uncle last night. My uncle used to tell them not to deal in drugs. He would supervise voluntarily patrolling in the camps. They killed my uncle,” the nephew told AFP, asking to remain anonymous out of fear for his safety.
Meanwhile, ARSA has not publicly commented on the incident.
The police have not yet taken any suspects into custody or charged them for their involvement in the violence. However, there has been an increased presence of law enforcement officers in the area since the attack.
Some #Rohingya diaspora groups including @the_erc have called for a full investigation into the killing of Mohammed Anwar and Yunus in #Bangladesh.
— John Quinley III (@john_hq3) October 16, 2022
Read the full ERC statement: pic.twitter.com/kNbOah5Yvq
The refugee settlements, which are home to more than one million Rohingya refugees, have seen a significant uptick in violence in recent months, with various gangs trying to secure control over drug trafficking operations, with a particular focus on yaba methamphetamine pills, methamphetamine and caffeine. Civilian refugee leaders have been intimidated and targeted, with some being abducted and others being killed.
Commenting on the uptick of violence, Mahfuzul Islam, the police chief of the district of Cox’s Bazar told AFP that “In the last three months alone, at least 14 Rohingyas have been murdered in the camps. The number of murders in the camp has increased compared to last year.”
Last September, several Rohingyas were charged with the murder of top Rohingya leader Mohib Ullah. Although the ARSA has denied its involvement, at least 8,000 suspected ARSA members were arrested by Bangladeshi authorities following Ullah’s killing.