Dil Mohammed - from Smuggler to Warlord

The Militarisation of the Rohingya Camps

A huge thanks to Dhaka Tribune for prominently publishing my latest article on its front page. Since the piece openly critiques Bangladesh’s intelligence agencies, their decision to run it is a testament to their commitment to journalism under difficult circumstances.

However, due to the editorial constraints of the Dhaka Tribune, I am sharing the unexpurgated version here beyond the paywall.

My article looks into the murky world of Dil Mohammed. To clarify, this is not the Dil Mohammed of No Man’s Land. This Dil Mohammed is a long-time intermediary for the Myanmar military who now plays a central role in militarising the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh.

Here are the key takeaways:

• Dil Mohammed’s double game: Once a middleman for illicit trade, he now leads recruitment efforts for Rohingya armed groups while maintaining ties with Myanmar’s junta.

• The December 25th rally: A massive, public show of strength where representatives of armed groups openly called for war against the Arakan Army.

• Forced recruitment: Rohingya families are being pressured to send one male member for military training under the threat of losing food rations.

• Coercion in religious institutions: Madrasa students are being forced to enlist, with institutions threatened with closure if they resist.

• Bangladesh’s complicity: Despite his ties to the Myanmar military and involvement in trafficking, Dil Mohammed continues to operate with impunity in the camps. This raises obvious questions about the role of Bangladeshi authorities in enabling this militarisation.

Click the link to read the article on the Dhaka Tribune site.