Bandarban Bangladesh, 7 April 2025
Ataullah Abu Ammar Jununi, the leader of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), has been denied bail and remanded to jail by a court in Bandarban, Bangladesh. Ataullah, along with nine other ARSA members, was arrested during coordinated operations conducted by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Narayanganj and Mymensingh districts on March 16 and 17, 2025.
The arrests were made based on intelligence reports indicating that the group was holding secret meetings to plan subversive activities. During the operations, law enforcement officials seized approximately Tk 2.1 million in cash, a knife, a sharp steel chain, and four wristwatches from the suspects.
Ataullah is accused of orchestrating various criminal activities, including the assassination of prominent Rohingya leader Muhib Ullah in 2021 and the murder of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) officer Squadron Leader Rizwan Rushdi during an anti-drug operation in Bandarban.
Following their arrest, the suspects were presented before the Narayanganj Senior Judicial Magistrate’s Court on March 18, 2025. The court granted a 10-day remand for six of the accused to facilitate further interrogation.
The arrests have heightened tensions within the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, where ARSA’s presence has been linked to violent infighting and criminal activities such as killings, kidnappings, and smuggling. The Bangladesh government continues to monitor the situation closely, emphasizing the need to maintain law and order within the refugee communities.
