Abdul Aziz (We Copied the article from dhakatribune for our readers.)
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested the gun commander of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (Arsa) from Ukhiya Rohingya Camp on Thursday night.
The arrestee is Md Zakaria, 32.
The elite force also seized a G3 rifle and five rounds of bullets commonly used by the Myanmar military and law enforcement during the raid.
RAB 15 Captain Lt Colonel HM Sajjad Hossain revealed this information during a press conference on Friday.
The intelligence branch of Bangladesh Army’s 10th Infantry Division and RAB intelligence sources had information that some members of the terrorist group Arsa have brought weapons from neighbouring countries to create instability and disruption in Camp No 10.
Based on this source, Zakaria was arrested for conducting a special operation at the camp.
Zakaria entered Bangladesh from Myanmar in 2017 with his family. He built a strong relationship with Arsa’s leader, Ataullah Abu Ammar Jununi, and joined the group. Initially, he acted as a source for Arsa, he later became active in their armed group. By late 2023, he was the block commander for block F/17. Under his leadership, he was involved in kidnappings, arms and drug trafficking, extortion, and oppressing ordinary Rohingyas, said the RAB official.
During the press briefing, the RAB commander said that after a senior intelligence officer was killed by Arsa terrorists during a joint anti-drug operation by intelligence agencies and RAB in 2022, law enforcement activities in the camp area were intensified, prompting Zakaria to flee back to Myanmar. He re-entered Bangladesh once the situation normalized and participated in various killing missions and criminal activities as a gun group commander. He is skilled in arms operation, and his leadership contributed to multiple acts of violence, instability, kidnapping, arms and drug trafficking, extortion, and dominance in the Rohingya camp.
Zakaria has multiple cases against him at the Ukhiya police station in Cox’s Bazar and was imprisoned twice before.
