A new report by Fortify Rights, released on Tuesday, accuses members of Rohingya militant groups in Bangladesh of committing atrocities against fellow refugees, including killings, abductions, torture, and threats.

The report outlines disturbing evidence that these actions may constitute war crimes, linked to the ongoing conflict in Myanmar.

The 78-page report, titled “I May Be Killed Any Moment,” reveals that the violence in the refugee camps has escalated in recent years.

Fortify Rights finds "reasonable grounds" to believe that the crimes, which have targeted Rohingya men, women, and children, are connected to the armed conflict in Myanmar and could amount to war crimes.

The rights body urges the Government of Bangladesh and international justice bodies—such as the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar and the International Criminal Court (ICC)—to investigate the actions of militant groups operating within the camps and hold those responsible accountable.

The report highlights how recent U.S. government funding cuts have exacerbated the situation, providing more space for militant groups to operate freely and further endanger the safety of refugees.

According to Fortify Rights, the lack of resources and support has left the Rohingya population vulnerable to violence and exploitation.

The report also chronicles years of unchecked violence in the camps, where militants have targeted the refugee community.

The assassination of prominent Rohingya leader Mohib Ullah in September 2021 marked a turning point, with militant violence intensifying since his death.

Fortify Rights also criticizes the Bangladeshi government, led by ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, for failing to adequately protect refugees from these militant groups.

Crossfires in the camps

Based on interviews with 116 individuals, including survivors, eyewitnesses, militants, UN officials, and humanitarian workers, the report documents the harrowing experiences of those caught in the crossfire.

Fortify Rights spoke with former and current members of militant groups such as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), some of whom admitted to committing serious crimes.

As per its report, the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh have become a battleground, where militant groups inflict persistent violence and death upon the displaced population.

Documentation reveals a disturbing surge in killings perpetrated by these camp-based militants: the toll has risen from 22 in 2021 to 42 in 2022, then dramatically to 90 in 2023, with at least 65 fatalities already recorded in 2024.

Among the latest victims was Mohammad Faisal, a cherished educator, parent, poet, and survivor of genocide. On January 4, 2024, unidentified militants kidnapped Faisal from the Camp-4 extension between 7 and 8 p.m. and executed him.

Before his assassination, Faisal had been aiding Bangladeshi officials in their investigations of camp-related crimes, a fact that amplifies the tragedy for his devastated community.

In a separate act of aggression on October 22, 2021, heavily armed Rohingya militants, identified in a confidential Bangladesh intelligence report as belonging to the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), attacked a madrasa (Islamic religious school) in Camp-18, Balukhali.

The assault resulted in the deaths of six men, and numerous others were subjected to torture.

Following the assault on students and teachers at the madrasa, the militants unleashed a wave of violence, assaulting and torturing Rohingya refugees in the adjacent neighborhood.

One victim of this attack recounted to Fortify Rights: “They severed two of my fingers and struck me on my head. Believing me dead, they departed.”

Subsequent to the madrasa attack, Bangladeshi police implemented security patrols in the vicinity.

However, the presence of these patrols did not deter ARSA from persisting in its threats against Rohingya civilians.

A survivor of the madrasa attack conveyed to Fortify Rights: “Even now, [ARSA] continues to threaten me, stating, ‘Enjoy your time with the police. Once they leave, your life will end.’”

He further expressed: “I live in constant fear of being killed.”

Rohingya militants: The main culprit

Fortify Rights asserted that the majority of killings perpetrated by Rohingya militants, as documented by their organization, transpired with impunity within the camps, fostering an atmosphere of terror among all residents.

In addition to killings, the report released today details instances of torture, abduction, and other atrocities committed by militant Rohingya groups operating in Bangladesh, notably ARSA and the RSO.

A particularly gruesome case from October 2023 involved ARSA abducting, torturing, and amputating the limbs of a 23-year-old Rohingya man, leaving him for dead. Against all odds, he survived, and described to Fortify Rights:

“First, they severed my leg. I could hear the sound of the large knife cutting through my leg bones. … I pleaded with [the armed men], ‘Please spare me, and I will give you anything you desire.’ They responded, ‘We will never spare you. We will kill you because you consistently report against us to NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] and the authorities.’ … [The militants] continued to mutilate my body for half an hour. My arm was severed just above my elbows.”

For an extended period, the administration under former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declined to publicly recognize the presence or operations of Rohingya militant factions within Bangladeshi borders.

This disavowal led to a deficiency in access to justice and inadequate responses from Bangladeshi authorities to militant attacks targeting Rohingya refugees.

International donor nations should collaborate with Bangladesh to significantly bolster support services for endangered Rohingya individuals, including secure sanctuaries and resettlement in third countries, urged Fortify Rights.

In a televised interview on March 4, 2025, Bangladesh’s acting leader, Muhammad Yunus, addressed the violence within the refugee settlements, stating: “The camps are rife with violence, pervasive drug activity, and extensive paramilitary operations.”

ARSA and RSO combatants are actively involved in Myanmar’s domestic armed conflict.

Both groups are engaged in combat alongside the Myanmar junta against the Arakan Army—an ethnically based armed organization operating from Rakhine State, Myanmar.

To bolster their military campaigns within Myanmar, ARSA and RSO have abducted refugees from Bangladesh and coerced them into combat within Myanmar.

These actions constitute severe breaches of international humanitarian law and should be investigated as potential war crimes.

A 17-year-old Rohingya refugee recounted to Fortify Rights how, in 2024, a Rohingya militant group abducted him from Bangladesh and forcibly transported him to Myanmar to fight on behalf of Myanmar junta forces. He stated:

“Approximately seven individuals approached the tea stall where I was having tea. They brandished a firearm, blindfolded me, restrained my arms and legs with rope, and forcibly removed me from the location. Subsequently, I was transported to Myanmar … I was taken to the Myo Thu Gyi Border Guard Police Headquarters [in Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State]."

Answering for the crimes committed

Bangladesh’s stance of neutrality regarding the armed conflict in Myanmar does not absolve individuals or entities operating within Bangladesh from accountability for war crimes.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has already asserted jurisdiction and initiated an inquiry into cross-border atrocities committed against the Rohingya in both Bangladesh and Myanmar.

This investigation should encompass crimes perpetrated by ARSA and similar organizations, Fortify Rights stated.

In 2019, the then-ICC Chief Prosecutor acknowledged that the court was “cognizant of various alleged acts of violence committed by ARSA,” and indicated that these allegations would remain “under scrutiny.”

To establish a war crime, three fundamental criteria must be met: 1) the existence of an armed conflict; 2) the commission of a prohibited act against a protected person; and 3) a direct link between the armed conflict and the committed act. Protected persons include those not actively participating in the armed conflict.

Regarding the violence committed by non-state actors within the Bangladeshi refugee camps, Fortify Rights possesses reasonable grounds to believe that all these criteria are fulfilled, and consequently—at a minimum—further investigation into the potential occurrence of ongoing war crimes should be conducted.

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