Muhibullah murdered to thwart repatriation bid: Police

Muhibullah was murdered to prevent the repatriation process of the Rohingyas and to stop him from establishing himself as a Rohingya leader, police told journalists quoting Azizul Haque - a miscreant who was in the killing squad.

He was arrested on early Saturday with a weapon from the Lohar Bridge area of the Lambashia Police Camp in Ukhia.

At a media briefing by the Armed Police Battalion (APBN) later on the day, police said, "Some 19 assailants took part in the murder of Muhibullah and five of them were armed." 

Superintendent of Police (SP) Naimul Haque, commander of 14th APBN, during the briefing, said, two days before Muhibullah's assassination, a meeting was called at Morkaz Hill, a hill adjacent to the camps, to layout the assassination plan.

Azizul revealed during the interrogation that on 29 September after Isha prayer, another miscreant Murshid Amin, who was also arrested later, asked Muhibullah to come out of his house and go to his office to talk about the repatriation process. 

After Muhibullah entered his office, Murshid signalled the armed attackers to enter and left the room. After entering the office, the armed assailants asked Muhibullah to get up. When Muhibullah stood, he was shot once. Later, he was shot three more times.

Murshid guarded the door with a weapon while the murder was carried out. Later, the murderers fled the scene.

In his confession, Azizul also named two more Rohingyas – Mohammad Anas and Nur Mohammad from Kutupalong Camp 1 – who was also involved in the murder. Later, they were arrested as well. 

So far, nine suspects were arrested in connection with the murder.

10 detained in connection with Friday's attack

Members of the 8th Armed Police Battalion (APBN) so far arrested 10 people in connection with the murder of six Rohingyas on Friday. 

SP Shihab Kaisar Khan, commander of 8th APBN, confirmed the matter to The Business Standard. 

He claimed that three of the arrested had already given confessional statements. However, he refused to reveal the names of the arrested in the interest of investigations.

Earlier around 4 am on Friday, six people were killed in an attack at Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama Al-Islamiyah Madrassa located at Camp 18 in Balukhali, Ukhia. 

Eyewitnesses and relatives of the victims claimed that Muhibullah's murderers were responsible for the latest attack as well. A Rohingya source claimed that the attackers belong to the alleged Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (Arsa, also known as Al Yakin).

The source said members of the group were threatening the Rohingyas to stop campaigning against them for a while now but the Rohingyas paid no heed to that. 

To take control of the madrassas in the camps, the members of the alleged group also offered to keep two Arsa members in each madrassa governing committee but the Rohingyas declined that proposal as well. All these could have contributed to the latest attack, opines the source.

The source claimed that quite a few madrassas in the camps are already under the control of the alleged Arsa group.

SP Shihab Kaisar Khan, commander of 8th APBN, said they are investigating whether Friday's attack is connected to Muhibullah's murder in any way.