Arakan News Agency | Exclusive
Hundreds of Rohingya refugees have commemorated the 4th anniversary of the assassination of the leading activist Muhib Ullah, chairman of Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace & Human Rights (ARSPHR), who was killed in camps by armed men.
Participants stated that the defending voice of Muhib Ullah embodied hopes, dreams and suffering of the Rohingya community as he devoted his life to advocate for them and gain recognition of their rights on the international stage including the United Nations.
Refugees told Arakan News Agency that Muhib Ullah’s absence is deeply felt but his words and vision remain alive. His unwavering belief was that the Rohingya deserve to live freely in their ancestral land, Arakan state in western Myanmar with dignity, safety, and equal rights. He always said that “our struggle is for our rights, not for charity.”
As Rohingyas remember him, they renew their collective commitment to his mission, hoping his legacy remain a guiding light for generations to come. The struggle for Rohingya justice is not over, they said, it continues in the voices of the young generation, the efforts of community leaders, and the solidarity of friends across the globe.
On September 29, 2021, Muhib Ullah was assassinated inside the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. His killing shook not only the Rohingya community but also the global human rights movement. It was a painful reminder of the risks faced by those who dare to speak for justice.
Bangladesh hosts more than a million Rohingya refugees in the “Cox’s Bazar” camps, which the United Nations classifies as the largest refugee camp in the world. The refugees have been living there in difficult humanitarian conditions since fleeing Myanmar in 2017 due to the “genocide” campaign launched against them by the Myanmar army. Their displacement to Bangladesh has been renewed since the outbreak of fighting in the Arakan state between the Myanmar army and the Arakan Buddhist militias (Arakan Army) in November 2023.
