Bangladesh brings home Rohingya, fishermen detained by Arakan Army
Twenty-four people were returned across Burma-Bangladesh border, but 86 Bangladeshis and Rohingya remain in Arakan Army detention
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Bangladesh has brought back 24 people, including six Rohingya refugees, who had been detained by the Arakan Army after fishing boats crossed into waters off Burma’s Rakhine State, as Dhaka continues efforts to secure the release of dozens still held by the powerful ethnic armed group.
The group returned Wednesday across the Naf River, which forms part of the border between Bangladesh and Burma. It included 18 Bangladeshi nationals and six Rohingya who had been living in refugee camps in Bangladesh, according to the Daily Sun.
Bangladesh’s border force said its personnel traveled to the frontier after securing agreement from the Arakan Army for the handover.
The 24 were transferred near the border and taken to Teknaf in Bangladesh’s southeastern Cox’s Bazar district, home to the world’s largest Rohingya refugee population.
The return is part of a broader effort to recover hundreds of people detained by the Arakan Army since the beginning of 2025 as the armed group’s growing control of Rakhine has transformed who Bangladesh must deal with along much of its border with Burma.
Bangladeshi authorities say fishermen have repeatedly crossed unintentionally into waters controlled by the Arakan Army while operating in the Bay of Bengal. Some were held at locations controlled directly by the group, while others were imprisoned inside Rakhine.
The scale of the detentions has been substantial. Bangladesh’s Border Guard says the Arakan Army detained 434 people between Jan. 1, 2025 and Aug. 19, 2026, almost evenly divided between 222 Bangladeshis and 212 Rohingya.
Wednesday’s return brought the number released to Bangladesh to 348, including 157 Bangladeshis and 191 Rohingya.
Another 86 people remain in Arakan Army custody, comprising 65 Bangladeshis and 21 Rohingya, according to border force figures.
The detentions have unfolded amid a dramatic shift in control across Rakhine, the western Burmese state bordering Bangladesh.
The Arakan Army has captured large areas from Burma’s military and now exercises effective authority across much of the frontier, forcing Bangladesh to navigate practical cross-border issues involving an armed group rather than solely Burma’s military government.
Bangladeshi authorities said they are continuing efforts to secure the remaining detainees’ return. Officials were verifying the identities of Wednesday’s returnees before handing them over to their families and, in the case of the Rohingya, facilitating their return to the refugee camps.
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
