‘ARSA killed Muhibullah due to his rising popularity among Rohingyas’
Muhibullah was murdered on 29 September 2021
Myanmar's armed resurgent group Arakan Salvation Army (ARSA) allegedly assassinated Rohingya leader Muhibullah whose popularity was gradually rising among ordinary Rohingyas, according to the charge sheet filed by the police on Muhibullah's murder case in the court on Monday.
Muhibullah formed the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights and stood strongly in favour of the Rohingya, which ARSA leaders did not like. He was killed on 29 September 2021 as per the instruction of ARSA head Ataullah Abu Ahammar alias Jununi.
Faridul Alam, the public prosecutor at the Cox's Bazar District and Sessions Judge's Court, said Muhibullah was vocal about Rohingya repatriation to Myanmar. At the same time, he used to speak against those involved in various misdeeds including murder, rape, extortion and drug trafficking in Rohingya camps.
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Besides, he was fluent in English and kept in touch with representatives of various international organisations and diplomats from different countries who came to Rohingya camps. At the same time, he met with the then US President Donald Trump as the Rohingya representative. Due to these reasons, Muhibullah became popular among ordinary Rohingyas. ARSA leaders began to consider him as a threat, he added.
As per the charge sheet, the plot to assassinate Muhibullah was finalised at a meeting on 27 September 2021, two days before the murder took place. Thirty-six ARSA members were involved in the murder. However, police included 29 persons, who are leaders and members of ARSA, and discarded the names of seven as their addresses were not found.
Seven persons whose names have been excluded from the charge sheet are ARSA Chief Jununi, Ostad Khaled alias Khalid, Ostad Hashim, Ibrahim, Alamgir, Shuvo alias Alamgir and Maulvi Mostaq. All of them are top leaders of the ARSA.
Al-Amin, general registration officer of Ukhia Senior Judicial Magistrate's Court, said the hearing of the charge sheet of the Muhibullah murder case will be held on 18 September.
Ukhia Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Gazi Salah Uddin filed the charge sheet in the court of Cox's Bazar Senior Judicial Magistrate Akhtar Jabed on Monday morning, accusing 29 people and naming 38 as witnesses.
