Border News Agency
Cox’s Bazar, June 1, 2025
A Rohingya man was tragically killed on 31 May 2025 evening while trying to protect his mother from a group of kidnappers near the Balukhali refugee camps in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar.
The victim, identified as Abu Taher, a resident of Camp 09 in Balukhali 01, was accompanying his mother to the hospital around 8:00 PM in a CNG vehicle when the incident occurred near Moragachtola, in front of the Camp-in-Charge (CIC) office at Camp 11, Moynarghuna.
According to an eyewitness and fellow refugee, a group of kidnappers stopped their vehicle and attempted to rob Abu Taher’s mother of her money and gold. In a desperate attempt to protect her, Abu Taher resisted the attackers. During the scuffle, the assailants pushed him into the path of an oncoming truck, killing him instantly in front of his mother.
The brutal killing has sent shockwaves through the Rohingya refugee community, highlighting the worsening security situation inside the camps. Many residents report a rise in violence, including frequent incidents of kidnapping, robbery, and extortion.
“We live in fear every day,” said a refugee from the nearby camp. “No one is safe, not even while going to the hospital.”
Rohingya refugees are urgently calling on the Bangladesh government and international agencies to take immediate and effective action to improve security and ensure the protection of civilians in the camps.
The incident underscores the growing desperation and lawlessness plaguing the densely populated refugee settlements in Cox’s Bazar, home to nearly a million Rohingya refugees who fled persecution in Myanmar.
