US calls for investigation into Rohingya leader's killing

Both the US and the United Nations on Thursday called for an investigation into the murder of prominent Rohingya rights activist, Mohib Ullah.

The refugee leader was gunned down in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Wednesday night by unknown assailants and UN spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay told reporters in New York: "The UN urges the Bangladeshi authorities to undertake an investigation and to hold those responsible to account."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Ullah's murder had saddened him and described the activist as "a brave and fierce advocate for the human rights of Rohingya Muslims around the world." 

Blinken added: "We urge a full and transparent investigation into his death with the goal of holding the perpetrators of this heinous crime accountable." 

Investigation underway

Authorities in Bangladesh say that an investigation into Ullah's killing has begun. Speaking to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur news agency, officer Shakil Ahmed said: "We have beefed up security in and around the camps, and began an investigation into the killing."

While police have yet to establish a possible motive for Ullah's killing, the victim's younger brother claims an insurgent group called the Arakan Rohingya Solidarity Army (ARSA) is to blame.

Speaking to local news station Channel 24 Habib Ullah said he had been with his brother at the time of the killing and claimed to have recognized some of the gunmen.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who managed to escape persecution in neighboring Myanmar have sought safety in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.The camps are now home to more than a million Rohingya Muslims.

kb/jsi (dpa, Reuters)