Arakan Bay News

  Tensions along the Bangladesh–Myanmar border near Teknaf’s Waikhong area boiled over after ongoing clashes in Myanmar’s Rakhine State spilled across the frontier. On January 12, 2026 , local residents held a protest in Waikhong market following a serious incident in which a young local child was critically wounded by stray gunfire coming from across the border during heavy fighting involving armed groups such as the Arakan Army (AA) and Rohingya factions. Witnesses said intense gunfire and explosions from the Myanmar side — particularly near Kyee Island — began late on January 10 and continued into the next day, with bullets crossing into Bangladeshi territory and hitting homes in Waikhong. One of these bullets struck a 9–10-year-old child , who was rushed to local medical facilities and later transferred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital in critical condition . In response, frustrated residents blocked roads and rallied, demanding stronger measures from the Bangladesh g...

  Nobi Hossain, a terrorist leader of the ARA group (photo credit) Nobi Hossain, identified as a terrorist leader of the ARA group operating clandestinely in Arakan State, has appealed to Muslims currently living in refugee camps in Bangladesh to return to Arakan and take part in armed operations aimed at seizing areas now controlled by the Arakan Army (AA). In a message circulated on social media on January 9, Nobi Hossain asserted that the ARA had recently carried out what he described as successful attacks against the AA, claiming these actions were conducted in retaliation for alleged abuses against members of their community. In his remarks, he accused the AA of unlawfully occupying their territories and issued a direct threat, stating that his group would continue fighting until those areas are reclaimed and that the AA would not be permitted to remain there. He also called on Muslims residing in Bangladesh’s refugee camps to stop depending on humanitarian aid and instead ret...

  Members of militant groups detained by the BGB (Photo credit) Members of the militant groups (Photocrd) Hundreds of militants were reportedly killed during intense clashes with the Arakan Army (AA) in areas along the Rakhine –Bangladesh border , according to local sources. The fighting took place in northern Maungdaw Township , where militant groups engaged AA forces in prolonged confrontations. Following the clashes, surviving militants reportedly attempted to flee the area by moving toward the international border. Bangladesh’s Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) later detained 53 militants who illegally crossed into Bangladeshi territory from Myanmar. The detentions were carried out amid heightened border security operations as Bangladeshi authorities sought to prevent further cross-border movement by armed groups. During the clashes, gunfire reportedly fired by ARSA seriously injured a 10-year-old schoolgirl from the Waikyaung area . Following the incident, local Muslim reside...

  Kyee Kyaung Island Inside Arakan Armed clashes were reported on Sunday morning between the Arakan Army (AA) and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) on Kyee Kyaung Island , located in the northern part of Maungdaw Township along the Rakhine–Bangladesh border, according to local residents and border-area sources. Witnesses stated that the confrontation began at approximately 6:30 a.m. , when ARSA members allegedly initiated gunfire toward an AA position from the vicinity of the border area. AA forces reportedly returned fire, resulting in an exchange that lasted several hours before ARSA elements withdrew toward Bangladeshi territory. Following the incident, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained several suspected ARSA members who crossed into Bangladesh during the retreat. Sources indicated that the detentions were carried out as part of routine border security measures aimed at preventing unauthorized crossings by armed groups. The situation along the border remains t...

  Interview video recordings of residents from Maungdaw District have been re-presented to allow the public to hear local perspectives regarding allegations made against the Arakan Army (AA) in a report released by the foreign-based organization Fortify Rights on November 22, 2025. The Fortify Rights report claimed that the Arakan Army was forcing ethnic minorities in Myanmar to perform forced labor. However, residents appearing in the two-part interview video series state that the allegations do not reflect realities on the ground. Interviewees describe the claims as inaccurate, internally contradictory, and lacking a solid factual basis. According to the residents, statements cited in the report were either misrepresented or taken out of context, and the report failed to adequately verify information with affected communities in Maungdaw District. They argue that such unverified allegations risk spreading misinformation and creating misunderstanding about the situation in Arakan....

  Bangladesh is facing a new geopolitical reality along its southeastern frontier as the authority of Myanmar’s central government in Rakhine State has effectively collapsed. In its place, a de facto autonomous Arakan, administered by the Arakan Army (AA) and its political structures, now exercises real control on the ground. This shift is forcing policymakers and analysts in Dhaka to reassess long-held assumptions about border security, diplomacy, and regional stability. For decades, Bangladesh’s engagement with Myanmar was shaped by mistrust and crisis management, most notably following repeated waves of Rohingya displacement caused by military operations in Rakhine State. Naypyidaw’s policies left Bangladesh burdened with refugees while offering little room for constructive dialogue. The emergence of autonomous Arakan alters this equation by placing decision-making power in the hands of local authorities who directly govern the border areas affecting Bangladesh. This shift is al...

  A Bangladeshi fisherman was shot and injured after gunfire used to stage a fake battle for propaganda by the militant group calling itself the Arakan Rohingya Army (ARA) crossed into Bangladeshi territory, according to official and local sources. The incident occurred along the Naf River area when ARA members allegedly opened fire while fabricating a staged “clash” intended for dissemination on social media to attract public support and recruits. One of the bullets struck a Bangladeshi fisherman who was fishing at the time. The injured man has been identified as Alamgir, 31. The incident was confirmed by Zahirul Islam, Deputy Commander of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Battalion No. 64 in Ukhia, Cox’s Bazar District. According to available information, on the morning of 9 January, more than ten ARA members—including their leader Nobi Hossain—were seen moving and operating around Auk Kyi Island along the Arakan–Bangladesh border. During this activity, the group reportedly fired ...

  Two members of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority—a journalist and a shop owner—were killed in separate incidents on the same day, intensifying concerns over the growing insecurity faced by religious minorities in the country. Rana Pratap Bairagi, a Hindu journalist and acting editor of a local newspaper, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the Manirampur area of Jashore district. According to local sources, the attackers arrived on a motorcycle, called him outside his workplace, and opened fire at close range before fleeing the scene. Police later recovered multiple bullet casings and launched an investigation, though no arrests have been announced. Only hours later, Sarat Chakraborty Mani, a Hindu grocery shop owner in Narsingdi district, was brutally hacked to death while running his shop. Witnesses said the assailants used sharp weapons and escaped immediately after the attack. Mani was rushed to hospital but succumbed to his injuries on the way. The killings have sparked fear a...

  The Bangladesh Coast Guard has arrested 18 traders attempting to smuggle cement bags and diesel fuel from Bangladesh toward Arakan State, according to Bangladeshi authorities on January 4. Officials said the arrests were made in separate operations during routine patrols near Saint Martin’s Island. Boats and cargo involved in the smuggling attempts were seized. On January 2 at around 10:00 a.m., a Coast Guard patrol operating in the southwestern waters near Saint Martin’s Island intercepted a motorized boat carrying cement bags valued at approximately 300,000 taka. Eleven traders were arrested in that operation, Coast Guard media officer Lieutenant Commander Syam Ul Haque said. The cargo was reportedly intended for transport to Arakan State. In a separate incident on January 3 at about 2:00 a.m., Coast Guard personnel arrested seven additional traders and seized a boat transporting around 1,500 liters of diesel fuel, estimated to be worth 180,000 taka. Authorities said the fuel w...

  Several civilians abducted by the terrorist Muslim armed group Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) in Maungdaw Township have later been released under circumstances that remain unclear, according to local sources. Those abducted were identified as 38-year-old Khaing Khaing Soe, her nine-year-old son Maung Wai Yan Lin, and 32-year-old Thandar Soe. They were among a group seized by ARSA militants while attempting to travel toward Bangladesh for medical treatment. The incident occurred on January 4, when five residents from the Maungdaw area, accompanied by three Bangladeshi guides, were traveling near the Myanmar–Bangladesh border. Near Border Pillar BP-42, the group was intercepted by five armed ARSA members and forcibly taken away. Later that night, two male abductees, identified as U Kyaw and U Yan Naung Soe, managed to escape during gunfire. However, the two women and the child were taken to an ARSA camp. The three Bangladeshi guides were subsequently allowed to leave and ...

  International human rights mechanisms, including the United Nations, are facing growing criticism for their failure to adequately document and acknowledge mass atrocities committed by Islamist jihadist groups against non-Muslim communities in northern Arakan, according to analysts and local observers. A November 2, 2025 analysis by Kyaw Zan published on Global Arakan Network describes this omission as a form of “calculated erasure,” arguing that sustained violence by armed Islamist groups has been systematically overlooked in international reporting and advocacy. Groups identified in the report include the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO), Rohingya Islamist Militia (RIM), and the Arakan Rohingya Army (ARA). According to documented accounts, these groups have allegedly targeted Rakhine Buddhists, Hindus, Mro, Thet, and Khami communities through a campaign of intimidation and violence. Reported acts include the burning of villages, s...

  In a stark reminder of the persistent security threats along the porous border between Myanmar’s Rakhine State and Bangladesh , the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) reportedly abducted eight civilians on January 4 , according to local accounts. The incident occurred near Border Post 42 , where a group of six Rakhine civilians — including men, women, and a 9-year-old boy — were attempting to cross into Bangladesh for medical treatment . They were accompanied by three Bangladeshi guides from neighboring villages. According to survivors, about seven armed gunmen affiliated with ARSA intercepted the group in hilly terrain approximately 2.26 km west of the border. The abductors bound the adult men, physically assaulted them, and robbed them of mobile phones, cash, and valuables before forcing them deeper into the forests. That night, five captives — including two Rakhine men and all three Bangladeshi guides — managed to escape under the cover of darkness, navigating rugged...

On 30 December 2025 , the terrorist State Administration Council (SAC) intensified its campaign of arbitrary detentions in territory under its control in Sittwe Township , targeting local civilians and community leaders, sources report. According to local witnesses, Sao Yaw Aung Mi (also spelled Saw Yaw Aami) , 36 , a Muslim administrative officer serving in Pinlin Pyin Village , was forcibly apprehended by a squad of seven SAC soldiers from Infantry Battalion (373) at around 11:00 a.m. local time . The troops arrived in a military vehicle and detained him without presenting any arrest warrant or stating the reason for his arrest. For more than a week following the arrest, there has been no official information regarding his whereabouts, legal status, or physical condition. Family members report being unable to contact or visit him, while villagers fear he may be subjected to ill-treatment or prolonged detention without due process. Residents of Sittwe Township report an escalati...

  Dil Mohammad, a controversial Rohingya figure with a long-standing reputation among refugee communities, has recently been seen delivering speeches and mobilising groups, raising serious concerns over his true role and allegiance. His public activities have drawn attention at a time when the people of Arakan are already suffering from conflict, displacement, and insecurity. Local observers and community members question whether Dil Mohammad is acting as a genuine representative of Muslim civilians or serving as a proxy advancing the interests of the Myanmar military and its allies. Critics allege that his rhetoric and mobilisation efforts risk dragging vulnerable communities into armed agendas that do not reflect their collective will or long-term safety. There are growing fears that such activities could deepen internal divisions among Muslims in Arakan and refugee populations, while also providing justification for further repression and instability. Many civilians stress tha...

​In the early dawn of Myanmar's independence I n 1948, Northern Rakhine State faced a massive armed insurgency. This event represented the first major challenge to the country's sovereignty. ​What is the "Mujahid"? The word "Mujahid" is Arabic for "one who struggles/fights for faith." In the context of Rakhine, it refers to an armed group of Muslim extremists in Buthidaung and Maungdaw who attempted to secede from Myanmar and join Pakistan. ​Timeline: ​Starting Date: April 1948 (only 4 months after independence). ​Peak Period: 1948 to 1961. ​Leadership: The primary leader was Jafar Kawwal. He organized local Muslims using religious rhetoric to launch an armed rebellion. ​Objectives: ​To secede the Buthidaung and Maungdaw regions from Myanmar. ​To annex these regions into East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to establish an Islamic state. ​To expel the indigenous Rakhine people and occupy their territory. ​Impact and Locations: Heavy fighting occurred in ...

  Muslim civilians displaced from northern Maungdaw Township due to security threats posed by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO) are receiving healthcare services and humanitarian assistance from the Arakan Public Health Department, it has been learned. A total of 27 households comprising 92 people from Phaklèpyin and Kyaukchaung villages in northern Maungdaw were relocated to safer areas by the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government. Among the displaced are 16 children under the age of five and eight lactating mothers. The affected communities had long lived in remote areas with difficult transportation links and limited access to medical care. In response, the Arakan Public Health Department has been providing free medical treatment and essential health services to the displaced families. A Muslim resident from Phaklèpyin village, Sharifa, said, “Previously, we barely ever saw a clinic or hospital. Now, the Arakan Army (AA) ...

  Muslim civilians from Kyaukchaung and Phaklèpyin villages in Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State, have been relocated to a safer area after facing persistent threats from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), according to local sources. On December 31, displaced families from the two villages arrived to permanently resettle in Ywetwinpyin village. The journey required approximately three hours of walking on foot through forested hills and ravines under difficult conditions. Both Kyaukchaung and Phaklèpyin villages have very small populations, leaving residents vulnerable to ARSA ambushes, kidnappings, and killings, particularly at night. To reduce these risks, the Arakan Army (AA) provided security along the route and organized the collective relocation to Ywetwinpyin, where a larger population allows for improved safety. A village administrator in Ywetwinpyin said local residents warmly welcomed the displaced families, noting that Phaklèpyin had just over 20 households and ...

  A Muslim teacher, U Thant Tun Oo, has spoken about the current state of education for Muslim children in the liberated areas of KyaukTaw Township, highlighting both the scale of schooling and the severe challenges faced by students and teachers. According to U Thant Tun Oo, there are 33 Muslim primary schools operating across the township, with each school enrolling an average of around 300 students. This brings the number of primary-level students to approximately 9,000. In addition, there is one middle school with more than 100 students, while another school under his responsibility enrolls even more. “Previously, when primary, middle, and high schools were all in one compound, there were about 1,500 students,” he explained. “Now, many school buildings have been destroyed, so we teach in private houses. Children are scattered across different locations.” Altogether, he estimated that more than 10,000 Muslim students are currently pursuing education in KyaukTaw Township despite ...