April 29, 2025
DHAKA – Amid escalating violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, Rohingyas are trespassing into Bangladesh every day, crossing the border allegedly to escape the brutality of Myanmar’s rebel group, the Arakan Army (AA).
Rohingya sources said back in Rakhine State, they faced killings, enforced disappearances, torture and forced recruitment into the rebel group as human shields against junta forces and were used as forced labourers for construction works.
Md Mizanur Rahman, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), said, “Currently, a large number of Rohingyas are fleeing from Rakhine State and taking shelter in various refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar. Since November 2023 until now, 1.13 lakh Rohingyas have entered Bangladesh. Of them, most arrived since June last.”
The RRRC said, “Speaking to the fleeing Rohingyas, we learnt that they are escaping to Bangladesh after facing persecution by the Arakan Army. In the homes they leave behind, people from other communities are settling. These accounts have been consistently shared by the fleeing Rohingyas. We have not been able to independently verify this information.”
Official sources confirmed that Bangladesh authorities and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have taken fingerprints of the 1.13 lakh Rohingyas who entered Bangladesh since November 2023.
With these new arrivals, the total number of Rohingyas officially sheltered in Bangladesh now stands at least 13 lakh.
To arrange accommodation for the new arrivals, UNHCR has sent a letter to Bangladesh. The letter was sent last week to the Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner.
Regarding the matter, Mizanur said, “We have received a letter from UNHCR requesting arrangements for the accommodation of more than one lakh new Rohingyas. We do not have space to build houses for such a large number.”
“This effort to build new shelters will make Rohingya repatriation more difficult, as it will encourage more Rohingyas in Rakhine to come to Bangladesh,” he added.
Md Zubair, chairman of Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, said, “Arakan Army is carrying out atrocities against the Rohingyas living in Rakhine State. Rohingyas are called to Arakan Army camps and forced to work as labourers. They are picking Rohingyas for recruitment into their forces to fight against the military junta. They are also detaining many Rohingyas, accusing them of having links with the junta forces. Some of these Rohingyas were killed, and others, brutally tortured. Many Islamic scholars from the Rohingya community were victims of enforced disappearance.
“Recently, the Arakan Army has started evicting Rohingyas from their houses and resettling Rakhine people (Mogh) from other countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and India into those areas.”
That is why Rohingyas are fleeing to Bangladesh, Zubair said.
He described the situation in Rakhine as dire and demanded immediate international intervention and investigation into the Rohingya persecution committed by the Arakan Army.
Until November 2023, around 1.2 million Rohingyas, most of whom fled a brutal military campaign by Myanmar’s junta forces, had already taken shelter in Bangladesh.
Rohingyas alleged that during that time, Rakhine people also took part in the persecution alongside the Junta forces.
The Arakan Army, representing the Rakhine community, launched a campaign against the junta forces in November 2023. They announced victory over 80 percent of Rakhine State, capturing 14 of the 17 townships.
Following their victory, the entire 270-kilometre border with Bangladesh went under their control.
During the fighting between the AA and Junta forces, many Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh after allegedly being targeted by both sides through bombings, torture and killings.
After the Arakan Army established control over most of Rakhine State, the Rohingyas reportedly became victims of further torture killings, and enforced disappearances by the AA.