5 ARSA members arrested over Rohingya leader's murder

Law enforcers have arrested five more men from the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya over the murder of Rohingya community leader Mohammad Mohib Ullah.

Rohingya refugees say the arrestees are all members of the ‘Arakan Republican Salvation Army’ (ARSA), who Mohib Ullah’s family have blamed for his death.

The five were arrested after raids at different Rohingya camps in Ukhiya from Friday night until Saturday morning, said Md Naimul Haque, superintendent of police and captain of the 14th Armed Police Battalion (APBn).

The arrestees have been identified as Khaled Hossain, 33, Master Syed, 38, Mohammad Shaker, 35, Mohammad, 18, and Mohammad Ilias, 22.

The APBn had arrested six others a day earlier.

“A special APBn team conducted raids at various Ukhiya camps to maintain law and order in the wake of the killing of Rohingya leader Mohib Ullah,” said law enforcement officer Moinul.

“Five members of a militant outfit centred on the Rohingya camps were detained. They have been accused of extortion, murder, kidnapping, robbery, drug trafficking, human trafficking and assault on police in several cases with Ukhiya police.”

The APBn captain said the detainees were turned over to Ukhiya police.

A group of unidentified gunmen killed 48-year-old Mohib Ullah at a refugee camp in Cox's Bazar's Ukhiya on Sept 29.

Mohib Ullah was the chairman of moderate Rohingya group Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights and had come to be known as a ‘voice for the Rohingya’ in the Western media.

Amid international outcry over the murder, law enforcers have arrested five suspects believed to be involved with the killing. They are also conducting raids on the camps.