Rapid Action Battalion on Wednesday arrested two suspected members of Myanmar-based Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, including a top commander, in an anti-terrorism drive in Rohingya camp in Cox鈥檚 Bazar鈥檚 Ukhia.
RAB legal and media wing director commander Arafat Islam said at a press briefing in Ukhia that ARSA鈥檚 Bangladesh coordinator and commander, Md Shahnur alias Master Salim, 38, and his associate, Md Riaz, 27, were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday.
In a press release, the RAB said that it had recovered five grenades, three rifle grenades, 10 locally-made hand grenades, 13 cocktails, a foreign revolver, and others from the ARSA hideout during the raid.
RAB said that it had increased its intelligence activities following the recent killings in Rohingya camps and was tipped off that Salim was leading ARSA in Bangladesh.
According to RAB, Salim entered Bangladesh from Myanmar in 2017 and started living in Balukhali Camp-15.
He served as the bodyguard of ARSA chief Ataullah Abu Ammar Jununi for two months while he was in Myanmar and joined the group again in 2017 in Bangladesh.
There were multiple cases against Salim, including three murders.
RAB said that Riaz entered Bangladesh illegally from Myanmar in 2017 and joined ARSA in 2018.
RAB said that 64 people were killed by different terrorist groups in the Rohingya camps in 2023, and 16 people were killed in 2024.