Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) chief Ataullah has been arrested in Bangladesh’s Narayanganj. On the night of Monday (March 17) the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-11 apprehended Ataullah and his associates in a special operation. The militant leader Ataullah is also known by his organizational alias ‘Abu Amr Jununi.’ He was on Myanmar’s radar for years and had recently been listed on Bangladesh Police’s most wanted list.
Ataullah and ARSA’s Emergence
Ataullah was one of 49 identified accused in the murder case of a Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) officer in Bangladesh’s Naikhongchhari, Tumbru Konarpara area. His group, ARSA, evolved from the Myanmar-based militant organization ‘Harakah Al-Yaqin.’
ARSA gained notoriety after its involvement in the August 25, 2017 attack on Myanmar’s police check posts, an action led by Ataullah. Security analyst Major (Retd.) Emdadul Islam states that this attack triggered Myanmar’s military crackdown, leading to mass persecution and displacement of Rohingyas into Bangladesh. Many Rohingyas believe Ataullah had secret ties with the Myanmar military and hold him responsible for their suffering.
Ataullah’s Background
According to the International Crisis Group, ARSA was primarily formed by Rohingyas residing in Saudi Arabia. A group of 20 influential Rohingya leaders based in Mecca initiated the movement, with networks extending to Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India.
Ataullah was born in Karachi, Pakistan, to a Rohingya father from Maungdaw, Myanmar. However, he grew up in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, where he pursued religious education in a madrasa. In Saudi Arabia, he formed an organization called the ‘Faith Movement’ among Rohingya expatriates.
In 2012, Ataullah mysteriously disappeared from Saudi Arabia and later surfaced in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, reportedly using a Saudi passport. That same year, communal violence erupted in Rakhine following an attack on a Buddhist woman’s home, resulting in the deaths of 80 people and the displacement of over 100,000 Rohingyas.
ARSA’s Operations and Global Connections
Following the 2012 unrest, Pakistani national Abdul Quddus Barmi founded ‘Harakah Al-Yaqin,’ with Ataullah as its military commander. The group formally started operations in 2013 and later rebranded as the ‘Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army’ (ARSA).
On August 25, 2017, ARSA launched attacks on Myanmar’s police posts, which led to a severe military crackdown. The Myanmar government blamed Ataullah for orchestrating the attack. The ensuing violence forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas to flee to Bangladesh.
Ataullah was previously associated with the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO) and had fought in Afghanistan and Kashmir. He was also linked with Harkat-ul-Jihad Uzbekistan, where he served as a military commander. Intelligence sources indicate he maintained financial ties with Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Kashmir, Syria, and various Arab donors.
Terror Activities in Bangladesh and Arrest
Ataullah and ARSA established a stronghold in Rohingya refugee camps along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Tumbru Konarpara, setting up tunnels, secret hideouts, and drug operations. The group even ran a sophisticated restaurant named ‘Golden Arakan.’
During an anti-narcotics operation on November 14, 2022, DGFI and RAB jointly raided an ARSA hideout in Bandarban’s Naikhongchhari. During the encounter, ARSA members shot and killed DGFI officer Squadron Leader Rizwan Rushdi. After extensive investigations, authorities submitted a charge sheet in November 2023, naming Ataullah and 48 others as accused. On December 4, 2023, the Bandarban Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court issued arrest warrants against them, prompting intensified search operations.
Ultimately, Ataullah was arrested in a RAB-11 raid in Siddhirganj, Narayanganj. His capture is seen as a significant breakthrough in counterterrorism efforts and the ongoing security challenges surrounding the Rohingya crisis.
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