by Hafizur Rahman
Maungdaw Township, Arakan State | December 28, 2025
Rohingya residents in Maungdaw’s Ward No. 2 say they are gripped by fear after the Arakan Army ordered families to return household registration lists previously issued to them, without providing any explanation.
According to local residents, the order was announced on December 26 at around 5:00 pm through loudspeakers as members of the Arakan Army drove through the ward. The announcement instructed each household to send one representative to the Ward Administration Office at 8:00 am the following morning, carrying their household registration documents.
Residents said no reason was given for the order, leaving families confused and anxious about what may follow.
A Rohingya man from Ward No. 2 said people stood outside their homes listening as the loudspeaker passed through the streets. He said neighbors immediately began whispering in fear, unsure whether the order could be linked to forced labor, recruitment, or arrest. He said people do not feel safe and are afraid of what may happen next.
Local sources said inspection teams are expected to arrive to check the documents, but no details have been shared about what will be examined or what actions may follow. The uncertainty has deepened fear across the ward, with families saying they feel trapped between compliance and risk.
For many Rohingya households, the registration lists carry deep significance. Residents said the documents serve as rare proof of residence and family identity in a place where Rohingya have long faced erasure and exclusion. The sudden demand to return them has revived memories of past crackdowns, questioning, and forced displacement.
Several residents said the situation feels painfully familiar. Although the Arakan Army presents itself as a revolutionary force, locals say the methods feel indistinguishable from past authorities who ruled through fear. Some described it as a cycle repeating itself, with different uniforms but the same sense of vulnerability.
As night fell over Maungdaw, families prepared to comply with the order, not out of trust, but out of fear of the consequences of refusing. Residents said the silence surrounding the purpose of the document collection has left the community waiting anxiously for what tomorrow may bring.
