bdnews24.com :
Police have arrested two more men over their suspected involvement in the murder of Rohingya leader Mohammad Mohib Ullah in Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya.
The men, both members of the Rohingya refugee community, were nabbed during raids on camps hosting the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals in southern Bangladesh on Friday, according to the Armed Police Batallion (APBn).
The suspects have been identified as Abdus Salam, 30, from Lombashia camp, and Ziaur Rahman, 32, from Kutupalong camp.
A group of unidentified gunmen killed the 48-year-old Mohib Ullah at a refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya on Sept 30.
The chairman of the Arakan Rohinyga Society for Peace and Human Rights, a moderate Rohingya community group, was killed at a refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar by unknown gunmen on Sept 29.
Mohib Ullah, who came to be known as a ‘voice for the Rohingya’ in the Western media, represented the group ousted from Myanmar at a UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in 2019. He also had a meeting with then US President Donald Trump,
His family believes another Rohingya group – the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, or ARSA – is responsible for his death. Bangladeshi law enforcers also
suspect a Rohingya faction orchestrated the killing.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday vowed to bring the killers to justice amid mounting international concern over the civil society leader’s death.
The APBn has arrested three Rohingya men in connection with the murder so far.
Al Jazeera adds: Rights groups have called for an investigation into the killing of a prominent Rohingya leader who was shot to death at the world’s largest refugee camp in Bangladesh.
Mohibullah, who was in his late 40s and had eight children, was killed by unknown gunmen in a camp in Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday night.
He led one of the largest community groups to emerge since more than 730,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar after a military crackdown against the Muslim-majority minority in August 2017.
“He left me with so much responsibility,” his wife, Nasima Begum, told Al Jazeera. “I am devastated, how can I manage the family now? It’s a difficult road ahead. I am scared to live here now, we need security.”
Al Jazeera’s Tanvir Chowdhury, reporting from the site where Mohibullah was shot dead, said there was “an uneasy calm prevailing in the camp and a heavy security presence”.
“Rohingya refugees are worried and anxious to find out who is behind the killing.”
Mohammed Qasim, a Rohingya refugee, could not hold back his tears. “For years now, we have been watching and following Mohibullah, he was a gem to us and done so much for us, but we couldn’t save him,” he told Al Jazeera. “He took our case to the global community to seek justice for us.”
Mohibullah came to prominence when he was chosen to represent his community on a visit to meet then-US President Donald Trump at the White House and attend a UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva in 2019.
Human Rights Watch called Mohibullah a vital voice for the Rohingya community.
“He always defended the rights of the Rohingya to safe and dignified returns and to have a say in the decisions concerning their lives and future. His killing is a stark demonstration of the risks faced by those in the camps who speak up for freedom and against violence,” Meenakshi Ganguly, the rights group’s South Asia director, said in a statement.
“Mohibullah’s death undermines not only the struggle of Rohingya refugees for greater rights and protection in the refugee camps, but also their efforts to safely return to their homes in Myanmar. Bangladesh authorities should urgently investigate Mohibullah’s killing along with other attacks on Rohingya activists in the camps,” she said.
Amnesty International also condemned the killing and urged Bangladeshi authorities and the United Nations refugee agency to work together to ensure the protection of people in the camps, including refugees, activists and humanitarian workers from both the Rohingya and local community, many of whom have shared concerns about their safety.
“Violence in the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar has been a growing problem,” said Saad Hammadi, Amnesty’s South Asia campaigner. “Armed groups operating drug cartels have killed people and held hostages. The authorities must take immediate action to prevent further bloodshed.”
