M K Alam back from Cox’s Bazar – At least six armed groups have resurfaced in the Rohingya refugee camps located in the Ukhiya and Teknaf upazilas of Cox’s Bazar.
Driven by turf wars to control drug smuggling, extortion, kidnapping, and human trafficking, rivalries among these factions are escalating—frequently culminating in targeted killings.
The camps in Ukhiya have recently witnessed a wave of violence, with six murders recorded in the first four months of the year, triggering fresh security anxieties.
Alongside internal strife, law enforcement agencies are deeply concerned about the potential infiltration and expansion of international terrorist networks within the refugee settlements.
Prompted by these suspicions, police arrested a Rohingya youth last week from the Leda Camp (Camp 24) in Teknaf.
Rising Dominance and Terror Factions
Refugee camp residents report that while nearly ten criminal factions were previously operating, aggressive law enforcement crackdowns had temporarily weakened them.
However, several top leaders recently released from prison are reportedly trying to reorganize their networks.
According to Rohingya community leaders, the primary active factions across the settlements include:
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Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA)
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Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO)
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Arakan Rohingya Organisation (ARO)
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Arakan Rohingya Army (ARA)
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Islami Mahaz
A Rohingya volunteer from Camp 8, speaking on the condition of anonymity, stated:
“After more than a year and a half of relative peace, killings have resumed in the shelter centers. This has sparked panic among ordinary refugees, and many are terrified to step out of their homes after dusk.”
A Timeline of Recent Bloodshed
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Last Thursday Night: A Rohingya man named Hasan Ahmed, alias ‘Dakat Kala Hasan’ (45), was shot dead during a gunfight between two armed groups in a Teknaf camp. Police confirmed he was an active member of the notorious ‘Jakir Group’ bandit gang.
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Last Tuesday Evening: A fierce shootout between the Nabi Hussain-led ARA and the RSO at Balukhali Camp 8-East left two Rohingya refugees severely wounded by stray bullets.
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May 6: Mohammad Kamal (35), an ARA member and the brother of faction leader Nabi Hussain, was assassinated in a targeted attack in the western zone of Balukhali Camp 8.
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May 5: ARO Commander Kefaet Ullah Halim was shot dead in Camp 7. Kefaet, who previously split from a dominant gang to form his own outfit, had drawn the ire of rival factions, igniting subsequent retaliatory tensions.
The International Terror Link
Camp insiders fear that global extremist outfits might exploit this ongoing volatility to establish a regional foothold.
Teknaf Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Saiful Islam revealed that acting on a tip-off on May 5, police raided Leda Camp 24 and detained 19-year-old Mohammad Ullah.
A digital forensic scan of his smartphone uncovered active links to an international terrorist group via WhatsApp, where he routinely exchanged messages in Urdu.
Sub-Inspector (SI) Md. Belal Hossain has filed a case against Mohammad Ullah under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009. The charges allege that the youth used Bangladeshi soil to incite refugees into terrorist activities and acted within the student and military wings of ARSA.
To unearth the broader criminal network, a Cox’s Bazar Senior Judicial Magistrate Court granted a five-day remand for the suspect following an application by investigating officer SI Shuvo Mitra Talukdar.
Terror Financier Detained with Foreign Currency
In a parallel breakthrough, the Armed Police Battalion (APBN) apprehended an alleged terror financier named Mohammad Toha in Ukhiya.
Commander of the 14th APBN (Additional DIG), Mohammad Siraj Amin, confirmed that Toha was detained during a raid at Camp 1-East (D-5 Block) under the Kutupalong Lambasia Police Camp.
A body search conducted in the presence of the camp’s Head Majhi led to the seizure of:
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BDT 53,000 in cash
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3,250 Saudi Riyals
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3,300 Malaysian Ringgits
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600 US Dollars
Additionally, fake national certificates from the Chattogram City Corporation, forged birth certificates, an Al-Arafah Islami Bank chequebook, and digital copies of national identity cards were confiscated.
A case under the Special Powers Act, 1974, and various sections of the Penal Code has been registered against him at the Ukhiya Police Station.
Escalated Surveillance
Since the mass influx of Rohingya refugees in 2017, the camps have recorded over 300 homicides.
Cox’s Bazar District Police Additional Superintendent (Crime), Ohidur Rahman, corroborated that five murders were officially documented in the first four months of this year, alongside a substantial number of drug and abduction cases.
Law enforcement officials maintain that surveillance has been heavily reinforced, particularly across Camp 2, 6, 7, 8-East, 14, and 15. To preserve law and order, three battalions of the APBN are deployed across 33 camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf, supported by round-the-clock patrols from the local police and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
Rohingya rights activists emphasize that criminal elements deliberately orchestrate unrest whenever repatriation dialogues gain momentum, urging even stricter measures against the illicit arms and drug trades.