Rohingya armed groups have killed 219 Rohingyas in Bangladesh refugee camps over the past four years

Thailand-based human rights group Fortify Rights has reported that Rohingya armed groups have killed at least 219 Rohingyas in refugee camps in Bangladesh between 2021 and 2024. The report highlights ongoing violence, including killings, abductions, torture, and threats, affecting Rohingya refugees.

According to the report, 22 killings occurred in 2021, 42 in 2022, at least 90 in 2023, and at least 65 in 2024. One of the victims, Mohammad Faisal—a teacher, father, poet, and genocide survivor—was abducted and fatally shot on January 4, 2024, in Camp 4 extension while assisting Bangladeshi authorities in crime investigations.

Fortify Rights conducted interviews with 116 individuals, including Rohingya refugees, civilians in Rakhine state, armed group members, UN officials, and humanitarian workers, between September 2021 and November 2024. The report identifies the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation as the primary groups responsible for the killings.

In one notable incident on October 22, 2021, ARSA members reportedly killed six individuals and tortured others at a madrassah in Camp 18, Cox’s Bazar, as cited in an internal Bangladeshi intelligence report. A survivor of the attack stated that ARSA continued to issue threats against him.

Fortify Rights director John Quinley condemned the armed groups for causing unrest in both Bangladesh and Myanmar, emphasizing the need for accountability. He urged the Bangladesh government to collaborate with international justice mechanisms to investigate and prosecute those responsible.

The report also warns that recent U.S. funding cuts could further empower armed groups, worsening security conditions for Rohingya refugees. However, Mizanur Rahman, a senior official from the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission, stated that authorities have taken measures to reduce such killings.

The report's findings were discussed at an event moderated by freelance journalist Tanbirul Miraz Ripon, featuring insights from Fortify Rights senior advocacy specialist Patrick Phongsathron and North South University professor Navine Murshid.