Bangladesh arrests leader of Rohingya group on criminal charges

DHAKA: Bangladesh authorities have arrested the leader of a Rohingya Muslim insurgent group, Ataullah Abu Ammar Jununi, on charges of murder, illegal entry, sabotage and militant activities, police said on Wednesday.

Ataullah, the leader of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), and 10 others were arrested on Tuesday during a raid in Narayanganj district, near Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka.

According to an International Crisis Group report, Ataullah lead ARSA’s violent campaign in 2016 against Myanmar’s security forces to reclaim rights of the Rohingya, who say they face persecution at the hands of Myanmar’s Buddhist majority.

He has been identified by analysts as ARSA’s leader and appeared in a series of videos claiming responsibility for the attacks on Myanmar security forces.

ARSA’s attacks on the border guard posts brought a military crackdown in Myanmar with more than 750,000 Rohingya forced to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh in 2017.

Bangladesh police said the group’s activities extend beyond insurgent operations, with ARSA members allegedly involved in criminal activities such as killings, kidnappings, and smuggling within the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh - home to more than a million Rohingya Muslims, the world’s largest refugee settlement.

The group’s presence in the refugee camps has also led to violent infighting, with dozens of deaths resulting from clashes between ARSA members and rival factions.

ARSA is also suspected to be behind the 2021 murder of Mohib Ullah, a prominent Rohingya leader who advocated for the return of refugees to Myanmar. His death was a blow to efforts to peacefully address the Rohingya crisis.