A young Rohingya child died after being shot in the head as prolonged gunfire between armed groups swept through a densely populated section of Camp 8 East, leaving his mother and several other civilians injured.
by RK Desk
- A young Rohingya child died after being shot in the head as prolonged gunfire between armed groups swept through a densely populated section of Camp 8 East, leaving his mother and several other civilians injured.
- Hours of Gunfire Spread Fear Through the Camp
- Police Give Different Accounts of Armed Groups Involved
- Civilians Carry the Cost of Armed Violence
- Family Left Grieving
Cox’s Bazar, 28 August 2026: A young Rohingya child has died after being shot during a gunfight between armed groups in Camp 8 East in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, where six other people, including his mother, were also injured.
The shooting took place around Blocks B-40 and B-41 on Thursday evening, August 27.
Multiple reports identified the child as Mojahed, five years old, son of Nur Alam, while other reports identified him as Mohammad Yusuf and gave his age as six or seven.
Rohingya Khobor has not yet independently resolved the discrepancy in the child’s name and age.
His mother, Tahera Begum, was also shot during the incident.
The child suffered a gunshot wound to the head, while Tahera was wounded in the abdomen.
They were initially taken for emergency treatment before being transferred to Cox’s Bazar District Sadar Hospital. The child later died from his injuries.
Some of the other wounded civilians were subsequently referred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.
Police said a total of seven people, including the child, were injured in the shooting. Three of them were women.
Hours of Gunfire Spread Fear Through the Camp
Residents said intermittent gunfire continued for several hours around the B-40 and B-41 blocks, forcing families to remain inside their shelters or move away from exposed areas.
Local accounts said more than 100 rounds were heard during the confrontation, although Rohingya Khobor could not independently verify the number.
For families living in one of the world’s most densely populated refugee settlements, gunfire between armed groups creates an immediate danger even for people with no involvement in the conflict.
The child and his mother were civilians caught in the shooting.
Residents described widespread fear as bullets were fired through an area surrounded by shelters and families.
Police Give Different Accounts of Armed Groups Involved
Police and local reports have provided differing accounts of which armed groups participated in the confrontation.
Some reports, citing the Armed Police Battalion, said members of the Arakan Rohingya Army and Rohingya Solidarity Organisation were involved.
Other reports described a wider confrontation involving the Arakan Rohingya Army, Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army and Rohingya Solidarity Organisation, with competing factions reportedly exchanging fire over control of the area.
Rohingya Khobor has not independently established which groups fired the shots that struck the civilians.
The allegations regarding the involvement of the armed organisations remain based primarily on police and local-source accounts.
The Armed Police Battalion said security personnel were deployed after the shooting began and that the situation was later brought under control.
Police said an operation was underway to identify those involved and make arrests.
Civilians Carry the Cost of Armed Violence
The death has renewed concern among Rohingya residents about armed violence taking place inside residential sections of the camps.
Children, women and elderly residents are particularly vulnerable when gunfights occur close to densely packed shelters and public pathways.
The incident has also triggered discussion within the Rohingya community about the responsibilities of community organisations when violence occurs.
Some residents and youth have questioned whether Rohingya-led organisations can do more to challenge armed violence and support affected families.
Others have pointed out that community organisations are not law-enforcement bodies and have no legal authority to arrest suspects or conduct security operations.
Sayed Ullah, a member of the United Council of Rohingya’s elected presidential panel, said the organisation was gathering information about the incident.
“Regarding the incident, our UCR team is working on it,” he said. “We are currently investigating what happened and gathering information to understand the situation clearly.”
Family Left Grieving
For the family, however, the immediate consequence is the loss of a young child and the continuing treatment of his mother.
Residents have called on Bangladesh authorities responsible for camp security to identify those responsible for the gunfire and prevent further armed confrontations in residential areas.
The case also raises a more fundamental question about protection inside the camps: how can ordinary Rohingya families remain safe when armed groups exchange fire only metres from their homes?
Until those responsible are identified and held accountable, residents say civilians will continue to bear the consequences of violence in which they have no part.
