UN Rights chief calls for investigation into murder of Rohingya activist in Bangladesh

On Friday, October 1, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet called for a comprehensive investigation into the assassination of a Rohingya activist in a Bangladesh refugee camp. 46-year-old Md Mohibullah, the head of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH), was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar on September 30.

"A remarkable human rights champion who, despite the risks that his profession required, persevered to protect the rights of his people," Bachelet said of Mohibullah as reported by UN News.

The ARSPH was established in August 2017 and now accommodates over 750,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar, who have faced widespread massacres, rapes, and persecution at the hands of the army and security forces, reported UN News. 

Bachelet stated, according to UN News, that it's heartbreaking to know that a man, who dedicated his life striving to protect Rohingya people's rights, has been assassinated. She termed Mohibullah's words as incredibly powerful that underlined Rohingya's horrible condition.

She stated that Mohibullah's words still reverberate today as a reminder that the Rohingya are still awaiting justice. She went on to say that his death shows Rohingya's dire situation in both countries, emphasising, "We need to do much more to support this persecuted group, both in Bangladesh as well as in Myanmar."

On Friday, October 1, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), Meenakshi Ganguly said that Mohibullah was a critical voice for the Rohingya community, which had already suffered immeasurable loss and sorrow when they arrived as refugees in Bangladesh.

According to the UN Human Rights Office, insecurity has been developing dramatically in Kutupalong's camp, with rising criminality and conflicts between different communities, reported UN News. 

Mohibullah advocated for Rohingya rights at world forums

It is worth mentioning here that Mohibullah, a teacher by profession, rose to prominence as a worldwide representative of the Muslim ethnic minority. He was the chair of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, and he had advocated for Rohingya rights at both the White House and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

The Rohingya people have been labelled "one of the world's most persecuted minorities" and "some of the world's most oppressed people," according to a report by The Associated Press (AP). 

Image: Twitter/ @ Nznn Ahmed/AP