6 Rohingya Fishermen Missing in Maungdaw Township

Arakan Now, 3 May 2025

Six Rohingya fishermen from Mangala Gyi Village in northern Maungdaw Township have gone missing near Ywet Nyo checkpoint while fishing in the Naf River with permission from the Arakan Army (AA). The names of the missing men are Anatul Rahman (28), son of Zawkir, Robi Alom (17), son of Zawhir Ahmed, Armaan (26), son of Maulavi Kasim, Antiyas (50), son of Fouyas and two others whose names are still unknown.

A resident of Maungdaw Township reported that fishermen from Mangala Gyi usually take permission from the AA to fish in the Naf River around 6 PM and return home the next morning between 6 and 7 AM to sell their catch. As part of the agreement, they must share half of their fish with the AA checkpoint they report to.

On April 30 around 6 PM, the six men left with permission from the AA checkpoint at Mangala Gyi to fish in the river. Their families expected them to return the next morning, but they didn’t come home, even by late the following day. Their families and villagers began searching for them but found no trace or news of their whereabouts.

On the morning of May 2, the families and local residents reported the case to the AA checkpoint at Mangala Gyi. AA then gave permission to search beyond the border fence in the Naf River area. Despite searching in the river and nearby places, the missing men were not found.Later, their boat and fishing tools were found near the AA checkpoint outside the western border fence at Ywet Nyo Village. But as of now, none of the men have been found.