According to local villagers, the Hafez Khana was not renovated recently, but it was renovated in 2005, after receiving permission from the concerned authorities.

However, Commander Major San Win Khine of Nasaka Area No. 6 of Maungdaw Township ordered five Maulanas (religious leaders) and three local elders to appear at the Nasaka camp on August 11 at around 10 pm, over the accusation that they had renovated the Hafez Khana.

All the victims went to the Nasaka office at that day, but they were asked to appear again on August 12. They went back to the Nasaka camp on August 12, and this time, they were also asked to appear again on August 14.

“A village elder said, “It is harassment to the local villagers. Hafez Khana has not been renovated. Why does the Nasaka bother the elders?”

“We villagers know that if any wrongdoing by the villagers is discovered by the authorities, they will be punished or have money extorted from them by the authorities. But the authorities also create fabricated allegations against the villagers to extort money,” said a local youth.

The summoned village elders are identified as Moulvi Ahmed, Moulvi Abdul Ghani, Moulvi Salim, and two other Moulvis, including three other local elders named Rofique (an ex-village chairman), Shmashul Anwar, and Anamul Hussain. Anamul Hussain is a local Nasaka collaborator; tactfully, he was summoned to the camp with others by the Nasaka, said a local businessman.

Villagers believe that the victims will have to pay money for their release; otherwise they will be arrested in the future. The authorities know that they can get money from Rohingya villagers after giving them some harassment, said a local trader who prefers not to be named.

One of the villagers said this situation was created by the Nasaka’s collaborator Ayas.