by Hafizur Rahman
Fear spread across Maungdaw town on Sunday after the Arakan Army reportedly took 20 Rohingya men from the area and transported them to Buthidaung Township, local residents said. The men were among those detained during a large scale roundup carried out the previous day.
According to residents, AA members moved through Ward 2 of Maungdaw on 17 January at around 10:00 am. Armed personnel entered market areas, stopped people on roads, and went house to house in Rohingya neighborhoods. Nearly 50 Rohingya were detained during the operation.
Children and elderly people were later released. Residents said 24 adults were initially held. After medical checks, four individuals who were reportedly ill were allowed to return home. The remaining 20 were taken away by vehicle early Sunday morning.
Witnesses describe arrests
A Rohingya shopkeeper who witnessed the arrests described scenes of panic and confusion. “They did not explain anything. They just took people from the market and the streets. Everyone was scared,” he said.
Family members said the men were taken without consent or explanation. One woman, whose husband was among those taken, said she watched as the vehicle left the area.
“My children were crying and asking where their father was going. I had no answer. We are living in fear every moment,” she said.
Fears of forced recruitment
Residents believe the men were taken to Buthidaung to be forced into military service. Many said such actions are pushing Rohingya families to the brink.
“They are taking the main earners from families and sending them to the battlefield,” said a young Rohingya resident. “If they die, the whole family collapses.”
Community members also said the arrests are driving renewed fear of displacement. Some families are reportedly discussing ways to flee the area, despite the dangers involved, fearing that continued forced recruitment could empty Rohingya neighborhoods altogether.
As international attention remains focused elsewhere, Rohingya residents in Maungdaw say their daily reality is marked by uncertainty and fear. Many say that every knock on the door or sudden stop on the road now carries the same question: who will be taken next.
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