Bangladeshi Businessman Shot Outside Mosque in Cox’s Bazar Refugee Camp

A local Bangladeshi businessman sustained gunshot injuries following a violent confrontation outside a mosque inside the Palangkhali refugee camp in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, on Friday afternoon.

The victim, identified as 30-year-old Obaidul Haq, is a resident of Chorkhola village in Palangkhali Union and the son of Abul Hossain. According to local police and eyewitness accounts, the incident occurred near the C-2 block mosque of Camp 14 immediately after the weekly Friday afternoon prayers.

Witnesses and local community leaders reported that Mr Haq had been involved in an ongoing financial dispute involving outstanding shop dues and prior personal enmity with a Rohingya youth named Mohammad Yunus. Eyewitnesses claimed that Yunus presented himself as a camp commander affiliated with the Rohingya armed group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

As worshippers began leaving the mosque following the conclusion of prayers, a heated argument broke out between Mr Haq and Yunus. The situation escalated rapidly when Yunus allegedly summoned a group of 10 to 15 armed accomplices. One of the armed individuals drew a firearm and discharged a shot directly at Mr Haq, striking him in his right ankle. As the victim collapsed to the ground, the assailants fired several warning shots into the air to disperse bystanders before fleeing into the nearby forested terrain.

Following the attack, locals rescued Mr Haq and rushed him to the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) hospital located within the Kutupalong refugee camp for emergency medical attention. However, as his condition deteriorated later in the evening, attending medical staff advised transferring him to the Cox’s Bazar District Sadar Hospital, where he remains under treatment.

Demanding justice for his injured sibling, the victim’s elder brother, Jahangir Alam, expressed outrage over the incident. “My brother was simply stepping out of the mosque after completing his prayers when he was targeted in broad daylight. We demand a thorough investigation into this horrific attack and the swift arrest of every perpetrator involved,” he urged.

Law enforcement agencies moved quickly to secure the premises following the shooting. Atiqur Rahman, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Ukhiya Police Station, confirmed that police units responded promptly to stabilize the situation. Authorities have launched a comprehensive investigation to determine the exact motive behind the shooting and to clarify why the Bangladeshi national had entered the camp’s mosque to pray. OC Rahman added that police operations are currently underway to track down and detain the suspects.

Concurrently, Riaz Uddin Ahmed, acting commander of the 8th Armed Police Battalion (APBn)—the specialized unit responsible for maintaining security within the refugee settlements—stated that security measures throughout Camp 14 have been significantly heightened. Armed patrols have been intensified, and the overall situation inside the camp remains calm but under strict observation.

The incident highlights growing concerns over security and the proliferation of illicit firearms within the refugee camps, which house roughly one million Rohingya refugees who fled military persecution in neighbouring Myanmar. Local leaders have repeatedly warned about the presence of rival armed factions operating within these densely populated settlements, where disputes over illegal trade, extortion, and territorial dominance frequently spill over, occasionally drawing in members of the host community.

Expressing deep alarm over the latest escalation, M. Gafur Uddin Chowdhury, Chairman of the Palangkhali Union Parishad, noted that the unchecked circulation of illegal weapons poses a grave threat to both refugees and surrounding Bangladeshi communities. He called upon law enforcement agencies to launch immediate, joint intelligence-led operations across all camp zones to recover illegal arms and dismantle criminal networks.