In the dead of night, two Rohingya leaders were shot and killed in separate incidents at refugee camps in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, reportedly by armed members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). These incidents have left the community in fear as violence between armed groups escalates within the camps.
The first incident occurred at approximately 2 AM on Sunday night at the Jamtoli refugee camp (Camp 15), where Nur Bashar, a 54-year-old Rohingya leader, was taken from his home and shot dead. Bashar, a resident of Block A, had previously defected from ARSA and joined another armed group, the Arakan Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), a move that angered ARSA members.
Eyewitnesses from the camp, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Bashar’s decision to align with RSO had made him a target. The armed attackers, said to be a group of 30-40 individuals, abducted Bashar from his shelter and shot him in the chest and waist, killing him on the spot. The incident has further heightened tensions and fear among the refugees in the camp.
Confirming the incident, Shamim Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Ukhiya Police Station, said, “Nur Bashar was shot twice—once in the left chest and another in the left waist. The body has been sent to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital for an autopsy, and police are conducting operations in the camp to apprehend the perpetrators.” As of 3 PM on Monday, no case had been filed, but preparations for legal action were underway.
The second murder occurred at around 4 AM in the Kutupalong refugee camp (Camp 4 Extension), where 27-year-old Kabir Ahmad, a resident of Block C-1, was abducted and killed. ARSA militants allegedly dragged Kabir from his home and took him to a nearby area known as Lal Pahar, where they stabbed and shot him to death. Local leaders reported that a group of 10-12 ARSA members were involved in the attack.
Officer-in-Charge Hossain said, “Kabir Ahmad’s killing was the result of ongoing hostility between armed groups.” His body has also been sent to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
The surge in violence between ARSA and RSO factions has been a persistent issue in the camps. Just days prior, on September 11, a gunfight between the two groups broke out in the Tanzimarghona refugee camp (Camp 20), resulting in the deaths of two ARSA commanders, Imam Hossain and Rahmat Ullah. Another man, Mohammad Abdullah, was injured in the exchange of gunfire.
Mohammad Iqbal, Commander of the 14 Armed Police Battalion (APBn) responsible for camp security, explained that disputes over dominance, control of drug trafficking, extortion, and kidnappings for ransom have led to frequent clashes between the two factions. Despite ongoing police operations, heavily armed militants continue to terrorize the camps.
According to police and Rohingya leaders, the violence between armed groups has claimed at least 67 lives in the refugee camps this year alone. Most of these deaths have been attributed to clashes between ARSA, RSO, and another Rohingya militant faction led by Nabi Hossain. ARSA has reportedly lost 23 members in these conflicts, while RSO has lost 7.
Since 2017, over 246 individuals have been killed in the camps as a result of armed clashes, shootouts with law enforcement, and other violent incidents. Though 1,648 people have been named in 233 murder cases, many perpetrators remain at large.
As the violence escalates, the future for the 1.2 million registered Rohingya refugees in the Ukhiya and Teknaf camps remains uncertain. The majority of these refugees fled Myanmar following the brutal military crackdown in August 2017, but despite numerous efforts, no refugees have been repatriated to Myanmar to date.
