Mohibullah: A Voice for the Rohingya

"If I die, it’s okay. I will give my life for my community."

On September 29, 2021, Mohibullah, one of the most trusted and respected Rohingya leaders, was murdered in the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. His death was a devastating blow to a community already living in fear and hardship. But his voice, his vision, and his commitment continue to shape the fight for Rohingya rights.

A Community Leader to His Core

Mohibullah wasn’t a politician or a celebrity—he was a teacher, a community worker, and someone who had lived the same experiences as the people he spoke for. He founded the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPHR) in 2017 to give Rohingya refugees a platform to document their stories and advocate for their rights. He was known in the camps simply as “Peace Father”—someone who brought calm, who listened, and who gave hope when there was very little to hold onto.

His Work: From Camps to the World Stage

Even with minimal resources, Mohibullah’s impact was enormous. Through ARSPHR, he:

• Led a community-wide documentation effort—gathering testimonies from thousands of survivors about killings, rapes, and destruction in Rakhine State
• Built a database of over 3,000 cases with support from Victim Advocates International, to ensure these crimes were not forgotten
• Spoke at the UN Human Rights Council and met world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, demanding international attention and action
• Organised peaceful protests and events—including the 2019 Genocide Remembrance Day, where over 200,000 Rohingya came together to remember the dead and call for justice
• Advocated for Rohingya inclusion in decision-making processes around repatriation, refugee rights, and education
• Helped establish schools, youth activities, and cultural preservation projects in the camps, refusing to let displacement erase Rohingya identity

He Knew the Risks—and Chose to Stay

Mohibullah received death threats for years. He asked the UN and Bangladeshi authorities for protection, but nothing changed. When his family begged him to leave the camps, he refused.

“If I leave, who will help our people?” he said.

He slept in different shelters to avoid attack. He knew the danger—but he stayed because he believed leadership meant standing with your community, no matter the cost.

What His Death Meant

His assassination was not only a personal loss—it sent shockwaves through the camps. Many felt like hope had been stolen. If someone as respected and peaceful as Mohibullah could be killed so easily, what chance did ordinary refugees have?

But Mohibullah's life cannot be reduced to his death. He opened doors that had always been shut. He insisted that the Rohingya be seen and heard, not just as victims, but as people with history, culture, and rights.

What He Leaves Behind

Mohibullah left us a blueprint for change:

• Document the truth
• Speak out, peacefully and clearly
• Stay rooted in community
• Fight for justice even when it’s dangerous

His work lives on in the ARSPHR volunteers still documenting abuses. It lives on in every young Rohingya leader inspired by his bravery. And it lives on in the push for justice and safe repatriation that continues in his name.

We Remember Him. We Continue His Work.

Mohibullah gave everything for his people—not because he had to, but because he believed it was right. His vision of a future where the Rohingya can live freely in their homeland with equal rights is far from realised. But thanks to him, it is no longer just a dream. It is a goal.

This page is dedicated to Mohibullah—our teacher, our leader, our comrade.

May we carry his legacy forward.