Bangladesh authorities have apprehended Ataullah Abu Ammar Jununi, the leader of the Rohingya Muslim insurgent group, on allegations of murder, illegal entry, sabotage, and militant activities, as reported by police on Wednesday.
Ataullah, who heads the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), along with ten other individuals, was taken into custody during a raid in Narayanganj district, located near the capital city of Dhaka, on Tuesday.
An International Crisis Group report indicates that Ataullah spearheaded ARSA’s violent campaign in 2016 against Myanmar’s security forces, aiming to reclaim the rights of the Rohingya, who claim to be persecuted by Myanmar’s Buddhist majority.
Analysts have recognized him as the leader of ARSA, and he has appeared in multiple videos taking responsibility for attacks on Myanmar’s security personnel.
The assaults on border guard posts by ARSA triggered a military crackdown in Myanmar, resulting in over 750,000 Rohingya fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh in 2017.
According to Bangladeshi police, the group’s activities go beyond insurgency, with ARSA members reportedly engaged in criminal acts such as murder, kidnapping, and smuggling within the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, which house more than a million Rohingya Muslims, making it the largest refugee settlement in the world.
The presence of ARSA in these camps has also incited violent conflicts, leading to numerous fatalities from clashes between ARSA members and rival groups.
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Additionally, ARSA is suspected of being involved in the 2021 assassination of Mohib Ullah, a notable Rohingya leader who advocated for the safe return of refugees to Myanmar. His murder significantly hindered efforts to peacefully resolve the Rohingya crisis.
