STAFF CORRESPONDENT, Cox’s Bazar

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested the logistic chief of Arsa, a Myanmar-based armed group, and two of its members in Cox’s Bazar town yesterday.

Lt Col HM Sajjad Hossain, commanding officer of Rab-15, said the arrestees are Hafiz Rahamat Ullah, Arsa’s logistic chief, and Manjur Alam and Nurul Islam.

Rahamat is a resident of camp-3 of Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp. Manjur and Nurul are from camp-5 of the camp, he said in a press briefing.

Rab also recovered 4.9kg of explosives, 15 crude bombs, ID card manufacturing equipment, 1.5kg mercury, one walkie-talkie, 53 circuits, and nine bundles of fabric of military uniform from a house in Kolatoli area of Cox’s Bazar town, he said.

Acting on a tip-off, the Rab members cordoned off the house, which was being used as a den by the Arsa logistic chief, from yesterday morning, said the Rab official.

The drive ended around 9:00am yesterday, he added.

The Rab official said Rahamat, who is proficient in six languages, including Burmese, Rohingya, Bengali, English, Urdu, and Arabic, entered Bangladesh illegally in 2,000 and started living in Shah Parir Dwip in Teknaf.

After selling his properties, he moved to Myanmar from Bangladesh in 2014 and later went to Malaysia via Thailand.

Rahmat again came back to Bangladesh in 2018 and started living in Rohingya camps. At one point during his stay in Bangladesh, Hafez Rahamat joined Arsa through Moulvi Rafiq, second-in-command of Arsa Gun Group Commander Master Younus, said Lt Colonel Sazzad.