More than a million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar are living in Bangladesh, where they are confined to camps and deprived of formal access to employment and education. In this context, it is critical to listen to refugee leaders such as human rights defender Dil Mohammed, who, according to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), has been arbitrarily and unlawfully imprisoned by the Bangladeshi authorities.
Mohammed has been held in prolonged solitary confinement, subjected to coercive interrogations, and denied access to both his family and legal counsel.
In a decision published on November 21, WGAD has ordered the government of Bangladesh to release him immediately and provide him with compensation.
The Working Group has also called on Bangladesh to conduct an independent investigation into the violation of Mohammed’s rights and to report within six months on the steps taken to comply with the decision.
UAI urges the international community, particularly donor states, to Bangladesh to publicly endorse the Working Group’s findings and recommendations. Dil Mohammed’s treatment reflects a wider pattern of criminalisation and coercion against Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, whose camps have become increasingly insecure as a result of the activities of competing armed groups, the security services, criminals, and traffickers.
The WGAD decision reveals the extent to which Rohingya human rights defenders are exposed to targeted repression. Their detention has a chilling effect on the entire refugee population, curbing their right to freedom of expression and association.
At the same time, inadequate steps are being taken to preserve the civilian character of the camps, leaving Rohingya youth at risk of conscription by militia groups. The Rohingya of Myanmar are one of the world’s most vulnerable populations. Dil Mohammed’s case is a stark reminder that those who have fled to Bangladesh are still unable to find a safe refuge.
United Against Inhumanity (UAI) works to highlight inhumanity in the treatment of civilians in wars and those seeking refuge, particularly in situations receiving inadequate attention.
In September 2025, UAI published a groundbreaking report calling for urgent changes in the way Rohingya civilians are treated, both in Myanmar and in the refugee camps in Bangladesh.
Read our Report on Alternative Approaches to the Rohingya Refugee Situation.
