Rohingya human rights defender Mohib Ullah killed
On 29 September 2021, Rohingya human rights defender Mohib Ullah was shot and killed by unidentified individuals in Kutupalong camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Mohib Ullah arrived at his office in the Kutupalong camp around 8:30 PM when three armed individuals attacked him. The human rights defender sustained at least three gunshot injuries to his chest and was pronounced dead by the doctors after being taken to Kutupalong MSF Hospital.
Mohib
Ullah was a Rohingya refugee and human rights defender living in the Kutapalong camp in Bangladesh. He was also the chairperson of Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace & Human Rights (ARSPH). He documented various atrocities committed against the Rohingyas by Myanmar’s military. The human rights defender also advocated for the rights and recognition of Rohingya refugees at the United Nations Human Rights Council, the White House and various other international platforms. In August 2019, he organised a large peaceful rally to mark the second anniversary of the military crackdown on Rohingyas in Myanmar, in which many Rohingya refugees participated in.
On 29 September 2021, Rohingya human rights defender Mohib Ullah was shot and killed by unidentified individuals in Kutupalong camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Mohib Ullah arrived at his office in the Kutupalong camp around 8:30 PM when three armed individuals attacked him. The human rights defender sustained at least three gunshot injuries to his chest and was pronounced dead by the doctors after being taken to Kutupalong MSF Hospital.
Mohib Ullah was a Rohingya refugee and human rights defender living in the Kutapalong camp in Bangladesh. He was also the chairperson of Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace & Human Rights (ARSPH). He documented various atrocities committed against the Rohingyas by Myanmar’s military. The human rights defender also advocated for the rights and recognition of Rohingya refugees at the United Nations Human Rights Council, the White House and various other international platforms. In August 2019, he organised a large peaceful rally to mark the second anniversary of the military crackdown on Rohingyas in Myanmar, in which many Rohingya refugees participated in.
On 29 September 2021, Mohib Ullah was shot dead at his office in the Kutupalong camp. The police investigating the incident have suggested that three unidentified individuals entered his office and fired five rounds of bullets. Three bullets hit Mohib Ullah in the chest, fatally injuring him. The human rights defender was taken to Kutupalong MSF Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Prior to his death, Mohib Ullah had been facing threats. The Kutupalong camp, one of the world’s largest refugee camps housing over 900,000 Rohingyas, is continuously subjected to violence from extremist groups such as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. The threats against Mohib Ullah began to increase with his rising popularity and the support he gathered for the Rohingyas across the world. One Rohingya rights activist also reported that authorities in Bangladesh had been made aware of the risks to Mohib Ullah’s life.
Front Line Defenders strongly condemns the killing of human rights defender Mohib Ullah as it believes it to be in direct response to his peaceful and legitimate work related to the human rights of Rohingyas. Front Line Defenders is also concerned about the reports of violence inside the Kutupalong camp and the risk to the lives of refugees who have already faced grave human rights violations. Rohingya human rights defenders in the camp face the risk of clampdown from authorities and further threats from the same groups that targeted Mohib Ullah. Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Bangladesh to ensure the safety and well-being of all Rohingya refugees and human rights defenders residing in the Kutupalong camp.
