Rohingya armed groups kill 219 Rohingyas in Bangladesh camps in four years
Thailand-based human rights group Fortify Rights in a report said that Rohingya armed groups killed at least 219 Rohingyas in the camps in Bangladesh in four years between 2021 and 2024 as killings.
According to the report, the violence escalated year by year, with 22 killings reported in 2021, 42 in 2022, at least 90 in 2023, and a minimum of 65 fatalities recorded in 2024. The findings were shared during a press briefing in Dhaka on Tuesday.
One of the victims was Mohammad Faisal, a respected teacher, father, poet, and survivor of the Rohingya genocide. He was abducted and fatally shot by unidentified armed individuals on January 4, 2024, in the Camp 4 Extension area. The report noted that Faisal had been cooperating with Bangladeshi authorities on investigations into camp-related crimes at the time of his death.
Fortify Rights said its findings were based on interviews with 116 individuals, including Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, civilians in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, members of armed groups, United Nations officials, aid workers, and other stakeholders. The report highlighted that two rival armed factions—the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO)—were primarily responsible for the killings.
John Quinley, Director at Fortify Rights, stated that these armed groups continue to operate with near-total impunity, inflicting harm in both Bangladesh and Myanmar. He also raised concerns that recent funding cuts from the US government are leaving a vacuum in the camps, further enabling these groups to expand their influence and threaten the safety of refugees.
Commenting on the report, Mizanur Rahman, a senior official at Bangladesh’s Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission, acknowledged the existence of such killings. He noted that while incidents have occurred, the overall numbers are relatively low compared to the camp population, which currently houses around 1.2 million Rohingya refugees.
Rahman also emphasized that coordinated efforts by Bangladeshi authorities have led to a decline in violent incidents, although challenges remain due to the densely populated nature of the camps and the activities of armed elements within them.
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