Arakan Army Forces Villagers in Maungdaw to Flee Toward Bangladesh Amid Threats and Arrests

by Hafizur Rahman

Maungdaw Township, Arakan State | December 26, 2025

Dozens of Rohingya families from Kyauk Chaung and Lek Ya villages in Maungdaw Township are fleeing toward the Bangladesh border after members of the Arakan Army allegedly ordered them to leave their homes, residents said. Villagers described a sudden escalation in fear, with arrests, threats, and warnings pushing families to abandon their villages overnight.

According to local residents, at least 10 villagers from Kyauk Chaung were arrested on November 30, including the village administrator. Those detained were taken away for questioning, and their whereabouts were not disclosed. Villagers believe the detainees were tortured in custody. Unconfirmed reports circulating in the area say the village administrator, Mohammad Isub, and another resident, Kafayetullah, may have died during detention.

A resident from Kyauk Chaung told Rohingya Khobor that armed members entered the village and issued direct warnings, giving families one week to leave. He said people feared arrest at any hour and felt they had no choice but to flee.

Residents from Lek Ya said families left in haste, taking only what they could carry. One woman said she left her home unlocked as she fled with her children, unsure whether she would ever return or find the house standing again.

Elderly villagers were also seen fleeing, supported by walking sticks as they crossed muddy paths and narrow riverbanks. A young man assisting several families said fear spread quickly from house to house, leaving people sleepless through the night. By morning, many were already moving toward the border.

Villagers said a meeting was held on December 19, during which militia officials told remaining families, mostly women, children, and elderly people, to leave their homes and head toward Bangladesh within seven days. Many families chose not to wait, fearing further arrests and violence.

Some families are now sheltering in makeshift huts, while others are hiding in nearby forests or waiting for an opportunity to cross the Naf River. Residents described families carrying bags of clothes, children wrapped in blankets, and the keys to homes they may never see again.

Community members said the events follow a familiar pattern of pressure, threats, arrests, and disappearance, raising fears that Rohingya villages along the border are being deliberately emptied. As families flee, the roads out of Kyauk Chaung and Lek Ya remain quiet, marked by abandoned cooking fires and the sudden absence of people who once lived there.