Arakan News Agency | Exclusive
Two Rohingya refugees were kidnapped on the evening of May 11 by a group of individuals disguised as police officers while returning from work to the Kutupalong camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The kidnappers demanded a ransom of 200,000 Bangladeshi Taka (approximately $1,800 USD) for their release.
According to the Arakan News Agency correspondent, the kidnappers stopped the two victims mid-route, interrogated them under false accusations of possessing narcotics, and claimed they were taking them to a police station. Instead, they were taken to a secret hideout.
The two were subjected to severe physical torture and forced to call their families. The kidnappers sent a video recording of the torture and threatened to kill them unless the ransom was paid. As the families did not have the money, they had to borrow the required amount from others. Once the payment was made, the hostages were released.
The victims were identified as Mohammed Taher and Mohammed Anis, residents of the Kanin Tan neighborhood in Maungdaw, Arakan State. They had fled to Bangladesh in 2024 during a new wave of refugees escaping persecution in Myanmar.
Such kidnapping incidents are frequent in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, where captors extort families for large sums of money they often cannot afford.
Among other crimes was the case of Jahid Hussain, a young man kidnapped and tortured by unknown assailants. He was released only after a ransom of 40,000 Taka (approximately $329 USD) was paid.
Another case involved the kidnapping of Mohammed Arakan, a five-year-old child, whose body was buried in the sand by the kidnappers. They sent photos to his family and demanded a ransom of 700,000 Taka (about $5,700 USD) for his release.
A prior incident included the discovery of a Rohingya man’s body a week after his abduction. His impoverished family was unable to pay the ransom of 800,000 Taka (around $6,600 USD), resulting in his death.
Another victim, Abu Yousuf, recounted his kidnapping and torture by unknown individuals in the refugee camps in Bangladesh. He was released after his family paid the ransom.
Recurring abductions continue to pose a serious threat to the safety of the Rohingya in Bangladesh’s refugee camps. Bangladeshi authorities have claimed they are pursuing the kidnappers and conducting security operations against them. However, local media reports point to a rise in Rohingya kidnapping cases, particularly in the hilly Teknaf area.
Over one million Rohingya refugees currently live in the Cox’s Bazar region of Bangladesh after fleeing violence and persecution in Myanmar, particularly following the 2017 “genocidal campaign” by the Myanmar military. The United Nations describes Cox’s Bazar as the largest refugee camp in the world.
