By Camp Correspondent
Rakhine State – February 25, 2025
Local reports from northern Maungdaw state that the Arakan Army (AA) has once again clamped down on cross-border fishing activities in the Naf River.
On February 24, AA patrols intercepted a motorized fishing boat carrying five Bangladeshi fishermen near the western side of Sinbaw Kwe, a Rohingya village in Maungdaw Township, and about 10 minutes later, seized another boat carrying six fishermen.
In total, 11 Bangladeshi nationals were arrested, and two fishing boats were confiscated.
This incident is part of a series of similar actions. Earlier on February 21, AA arrested 19 Bangladeshi fishermen and seized four fishing boats in the same area.
In another event on February 11, AA announced the capture of two Bangladeshi fishing trawlers carrying 10 fishermen near the Makaung Chaung coast.
In a separate development, AA detained 24 Rohingya refugees on February 13. These Rohingya, who had left their refugee camps in Bangladesh to try and earn a living by fishing, were arrested in the early hours.
Their families are now deeply worried, as AA has not provided any clear information about their whereabouts or future.
Among the detained Rohingya are several individuals identified by name:
- Mamat Shofi (37), son of Abdul Ashim
- Sha Alam (20), son of Mamat Shofi
- Abdul Hafez (25), son of Sha Alam
- Abdus Salam (27), son of Abdus Shukur
- Solim Ullah (30), son of Rahmat Ullah
- Mamat Solim (28), son of Mohammad Rofiq
Local Rohingya community leaders have expressed alarm over these repeated arrests. They say that the continuous detention and lack of transparency are adding to the suffering of their people.
Families of the detained refugees are calling for immediate action and the safe release of their loved ones, as many depend on them for survival.
To date, the AA has not issued any official statement about these incidents, leaving many questions unanswered.
The Rohingya community, already burdened by years of hardship and displacement, now faces further uncertainty and distress due to these actions.
