After a year of decline, violence between armed groups in the Rohingya camps has risen.
Since the murder of Rohingya armed group commander Kefayatullah Halim on May 5, there have been at least six incidents of killings, shootings, and attacks, including a gunfight that left a six-year-old child and his mother injured.
The child was shot in the head while he was in his mother’s lap during a nearly two-hour-long gunbattle between two armed groups at Camp-8 East in Ukhiya on August 27. His mother was also shot in the abdomen.
The recent violence follows a significant fall after several Rohingya armed groups reached an understanding in November 2024, known as “Mission Harmony”, aimed at reducing clashes inside the camps.
The groups include Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, Rohingya Solidarity Organisation, Arakan Rohingya Army, and Rohingya Islamic Mahaz.
At least 74 killings took place in the camps in 2023 and 62 in 2024.
But the number dropped to 22 in 2025. However, in the first seven months of this year, 19 people have already been murdered, according to the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) database.
Lt Gen (retd) Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman, former chief of the armed forces division, said the recent tensions inside the camps could be linked to several factors, including competition among the groups over establishing dominance.
He told The Daily Star that the government was working on a strategy in which the empowerment of Rohingyas, including political empowerment, capacity building, and leadership development, was being considered.
“Who will become leaders, what role they will play and which groups will have influence -- these issues could become part of that process.”
Mahfuzur warned that such incidents could increase as prolonged uncertainty creates desperation among some sections of the community. He said the Rohingya community had remained confined for years, limiting their exposure and access to knowledge and experience.
This long-term isolation created gaps in knowledge and awareness among many Rohingyas, contributing to the complex situation inside the camps, he added.
VIOLENCE
Attackers opened fire on Kefayatullah Halim, 45, known as the head of the “Halim Group” and a commander of the Arakan Rohingya Organisation, near Tarzar bridge in Ukhiya on May 5.
Three people, including Halim, were critically injured. He later died.
The following day, Mohammad Kamal, brother of Nabi Hossain, chief of the Arakan Rohingya Army, was killed in what was seen as a retaliatory attack.
Camp insiders said the two incidents weakened “Mission Harmony” among the groups, and the violence continued.
On August 24, attackers targeted Mujibur Rahman, founder and current president of Rohingya Football Federation and president of the Arakan Rohingya Coalition.
Mujibur said he was attacked near the Camp-14 market and took shelter at an APBn checkpoint in Camp-15.
Locals later caught a suspect and handed him over to police.
Mujibur said some criminal groups did not want anyone outside their control to emerge as a leader among the younger generation.
Gunfire was also heard at Camp-5 on August 28.
Two days later, Abdul Goffor, a security guard of Islamic Relief Bangladesh, was shot while on night duty at the NGO’s warehouse in Camp-3, Block A.
“Gunshots are heard almost every night from different camps. We are living in fear. The situation is getting volatile day by day,” said Mohammad Solim, a resident of Camp-8 East.
KIDNAPPING
Alongside violence, kidnapping has become one of the biggest security concerns inside the camps. APBn data shows that 787 kidnapping incidents, involving 935 victims, have taken place in the camps since 2021. However, only 99 cases have been filed in these connections.
On July 22 this year, five-year-old Rahmat Ali was abducted from Camp-11 in Ukhiya’s Balukhali.
The abductors demanded Tk 6 lakh ransom. The child was freed after the family paid Tk 3.20 lakh, according to sources.
In another incident, police arrested a suspect and rescued a child.
A UN agency official, requesting anonymity, told this newspaper that kidnapping had become much more serious over the past two years.
The official said many families pay ransoms without informing law enforcers, leaving many incidents unreported.
Around 70 abductions were reported in the first three months of this year.
“We are always afraid that our children may be kidnapped,” said Nur Kamal, a resident of Camp-4.
FUNDING ISSUE
Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, refugee relief and repatriation commissioner, told The Daily Star that the funding crisis was affecting different aspects of life in the camps, from food and healthcare to education and income opportunities.
Funding shortages have also reduced opportunities for employing Rohingya volunteers through NGOs, cutting income sources for many families.
“As a result, thousands of Rohingyas are leaving the camps every day in search of work and income,” Mizanur said.
He said the impact was also visible inside the camps. “Petty theft is increasing. Streetlights and water pipelines are being stolen, while quarrels and fights among themselves are also increasing.”
Mizanur added that other crimes like drug trafficking, arms trafficking, and human trafficking were on the rise.
Talking to this newspaper, Additional Deputy Inspector General Siraj Amin, commander of 14 APBn, said the situation deteriorated somewhat following Halim’s killing but claimed that the overall law-and-order situation remained better than at any time in the past.
Meanwhile, Sayed Ullah, first president of the United Rohingya Council, said the Rohingya issue, particularly repatriation, has received renewed international attention since August 25 this year.
He alleged that instability in the camps was being created to divert international attention from the Rohingya issue, describing it as a conspiracy against the community.
