# B. A. Jafar (c. 1939 – 1987)

> Revolutionary leader · Buthidaung, Arakan

- Also known as: Mohammed Jafar Habib
- Known for: Revolutionary leader
- Born: 1939, Ali Yaung (Ale Chaung) Village, Buthidaung Township, Arakan
- Died: 6 November 1987
- Place: Buthidaung, Arakan
- Fields: Resistance movement, Politics
- Page: https://people.rohingya.ro/people/b-a-jafar/

## Summary

A notable leader of the Rohingya resistance movement. Born Mohammed Jafar Habib in Buthidaung Township around 1939, he studied at Rangoon University, co-founded the Rohingya Students Organisation, and turned down a life in the United States to resist General Ne Win's military dictatorship. He helped found the Rohingya Independence Front in 1964, led the Rohingya Patriotic Front from 1973, and worked to bring the persecution of the Rohingya to international attention.

## What he did

- **c. 1939** — Born around 1939 in Ali Yaung (Ale Chaung) Village, Buthidaung Township, into a wealthy and well-educated family; his father was Habibuz Zaman.
- **1961 – 62** — Represented the Mayu region in the Arakan Muslim Students' Association of Rangoon University. While at university he also worked as a translator at the Egyptian Embassy.
- **1962** — With other Rohingya students he founded the Rohingya Students Organisation (RSO) in March and became its vice-president. That year he earned his B.A. in Philosophy, Political Science and Modern History, and joined the student protests of 7 July. (Two years later he was elected the organisation's president.)
- **1964** — On 26 April, after a solemn pledge at the old mosque of Mayong Khali Market, he and fellow patriots took a blood oath and founded the Rohingya Independence Front (RIF), with Saya Gyi Sultan as its leader. It began by resisting the dictatorship through non-violent means.
- **After 1964** — Declined a promising chance to emigrate to the United States, and travelled to Pakistan as the RIF's representative, where he met President Ayub Khan and presented accounts of discrimination and human-rights violations in Burma.
- **1971** — Concluding that non-violent resistance had not achieved its aims, he and his RIF colleagues joined Jafar Sani's Mujahid Party in armed resistance. To tell the two Jafars apart, he became known as "B. A. Jafar".
- **1973** — Early in the year the Communist Party and the Burmese military jointly launched a surprise attack on the headquarters in Rathedaung; after months of fighting, the resistance forces withdrew from their positions one by one.
- **1973** — After he, Jafar Sani and Mayu Rashid agreed to reorganise and modernise the resistance, the Rohingya Patriotic Front (RPF) was established on 12 September with him as its leader.
- **1974** — Educated young men pledged themselves to the RPF, among them Saya Shabbir Hussein, the lawyer Nurul Islam, Dr. Yunus and Professor Khin Maung — some of whom later led resistance organisations of their own.
- **1978** — During the Nagamin (Dragon King) Operation, which drove large numbers of Rohingya from their homes, he worked to draw the world's attention to the persecution through publications such as "Rohingyas' Outcry and Demands" and "Genocide in Burma Against the Muslims of Arakan", and through reports to international human-rights bodies.
- **After 1978** — Travelled to Saudi Arabia to meet Muslim leaders from around the world, and on his return reconciled an internal revolt within the RPF. When vice-president Shabbir Hussein later took over the leadership, he rallied the comrades who stayed loyal and reorganised the RPF.
- **1987** — Died of hepatitis on 6 November, still committed to the movement. (His example inspired and nurtured a new generation of Rohingya activists and resistance leaders.)

## His words

> “To rebel against and resist evil is to obey the command of God.”

## Biography: An unfading star of the Rohingya resistance

In the history of the Rohingya resistance movement, three prominent leaders bearing the name Jafar emerged, each distinguished by both courage and wisdom. Among them, B. A. Jafar was a notable revolutionary leader. He sought to reform the traditional approach to resistance through new ideas and perspectives, laying the foundation for a modern revolutionary movement. He courageously resisted what he regarded as an oppressive military dictatorship and devoted his entire life to the cause of his people.

B. A. Jafar was born around 1939 in Ali Yaung (Ale Chaung) Village, Buthidaung Township. His full name was Mohammed Jafar Habib, and his father was Habibuz Zaman. He came from a wealthy and well-educated family. His paternal uncle, Ashraf Zaman Chowdhry, was also a prominent and highly respected figure in Buthidaung Township.

Jafar received his basic education in Moni Bil and Buthidaung. He completed his intermediate studies at Notre Dame College in Dhaka, East Pakistan. He then went to Rangoon to pursue higher education and attended Rangoon University, where he studied Philosophy, Political Science, and Modern History, earning a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in 1962. Jafar actively participated in the student protests of July 7, 1962. He subsequently continued his studies toward a Bachelor of Laws (B.L.) degree. However, before completing the program, he left university and chose the path of resistance against the dictatorship.

While studying at Rangoon University in 1961–62, Jafar was appointed as the representative for the Mayu region in the Arakan Muslim Students’ Association of Rangoon University. In addition, Jafar and other Rohingya students took the initiative to establish the Rohingya Students Organisation (RSO) in March 1962. Jafar became the vice-president of the organization, while Hussein Qasim was elected president. Two years later, when a new election for the presidency was held, Jafar was elected president of the organization, and Saya Shabbir Hussein was appointed vice-president. While studying at Rangoon University, Jafar also worked as a translator at the Egyptian Embassy.

In 1964, Jafar returned to Buthidaung to attend the wedding of his cousin, Abu Sufian. At the wedding, Jafar met Shuna Ali of Dabyu Chaung, Saya Gyi Nazir Ahmad, and Dr. Zahid Hussein. They went to the nearby Sikandar Dargah, where they sat together and discussed the country’s deteriorating situation. They came to a common belief that a resistance movement needed to be initiated in response to the worsening conditions. The following day, they left for Maungdaw to meet and consult with other patriotic figures, including Saya Gyi Sultan. During their discussions, they agreed to resist the military dictatorship by whatever means were available to them. They then travelled to Mayong Khali Market, where they performed the Asr prayer at the old market mosque and made a solemn pledge. On April 26, 1964, they took a blood oath and launched a new phase of the Rohingya resistance movement. The organization was named the Rohingya Independence Front (RIF), and the title given to its leader was “Grand Raja.” Saya Gyi Sultan was chosen as its leader. As Jafar was still relatively young, leadership was entrusted to the respected and experienced elder, Saya Gyi Sultan. The organization initially began its resistance to the military dictatorship through non-violent means. Its stated objectives were to oppose what it regarded as oppressive rule, to work together with other ethnic groups to bring an end to General Ne Win’s authoritarian system, and to restore the rights that the Rohingya people had lost.

After his cousin’s wedding had concluded, Jafar returned to Rangoon. Upon his return, the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) government banned Urdu-language newspapers, and as a result, Jafar also lost his translation job. The Ministry of Religious Affairs had previously provided 65,000 kyats in financial support to the Muslim Students’ Association, but this funding was subsequently withdrawn by Brigadier General Kyaw Soe. Jafar therefore worked tirelessly alongside Syed Anwar Azim, Vice-President of the Rangoon University Muslim Students’ Association (RUMSA), to secure advertisements and raise funds for RUMSA’s annual magazine. The two shared similar political convictions: both believed in the democratic path and strongly opposed all forms of dictatorship. They also worked persistently to seek the relaxation of government restrictions imposed on Muslim students at Rangoon University.

While Jafar was in Rangoon, he received a promising opportunity to immigrate to the United States. He was also closely acquainted with Dr. Tin Maung, also known as Abul Hussein, a nuclear scientist residing in the United States. When Dr. Tin Maung returned to Rangoon after earning his doctorate, the Rohingya Students Organisation invited him to a formal ceremony held in his honor. In addition, Jafar’s relatives living in the United States invited him to move there and expressed their willingness to provide him with the assistance and financial support he would need. With their support, it would have been relatively easy for Jafar to settle in the United States. However, rather than pursuing what could have been a promising future for himself, Jafar chose to give priority to what he saw as a greater cause: helping his people and his country escape the military dictatorship’s unjust oppression.

After returning from Rangoon, Jafar married his childhood sweetheart and lifelong companion, the daughter of Ashraf Zaman Chowdhry. Subsequently, by decision of the organization, Jafar travelled to Pakistan as a representative of the Rohingya Independence Front (RIF).

He met Pakistani President Ayub Khan and presented accounts of ethnic discrimination and human-rights violations in Burma. He also requested assistance for Burmese citizens involved in opposition to the military dictatorship. Jafar also met General Ziaur Rahman, who would later become President of Bangladesh, and discussed with him allegations of oppression and mistreatment of the population by Ne Win’s government in Burma. He requested that Pakistan exert pressure on Burma’s military government.

After concluding that non-violent resistance against the military dictatorship had not achieved its objectives, Jafar and his RIF colleagues joined Jafar Sani’s Mujahid Party in 1971 and began an armed resistance. Since the leader of the Mujahid Party was also named Jafar Sani, Mohammed Jafar Habib came to be known distinctly as “B. A. Jafar” to avoid confusion between the two men. Under an RIF initiative, Mayu Rashid, also known as Ba Maung, and Molvi Kabir were sent to Thailand to meet and hold discussions with former Prime Minister U Nu, who was then seeking to remove Ne Win from power.

In early 1973, the Communist Party and the Burmese military jointly launched a surprise attack on Jafar’s headquarters in Rathedaung. The Rakhine Communist Party had previously been allied with Jafar Sani. However, it broke the alliance and joined forces with the Burmese military to attack the Mujahid group. The fighting continued for several months, with heavy casualties on both sides. In the initial stages, Jafar’s forces gained the upper hand. Later, however, the Burmese armed forces brought in reinforcements and intensified their offensive. As a result, Jafar’s forces were gradually forced to withdraw, one by one, from the bases and positions they had been holding.

Around the middle of 1973, B. A. Jafar, Jafar Sani, and Mayu Rashid held a three-way discussion and agreed that the time had come to reorganize and modernize the existing resistance movement in accordance with contemporary military strategies.

On September 12, 1973, the Rohingya Patriotic Front (RPF) was established under the leadership of B. A. Jafar, who was appointed as the leader of the organization.

In 1974, several more educated young men pledged their allegiance to Jafar’s organization. Among those who joined were Saya Shabbir Hussein, lawyer Nurul Islam, Dr. Yunus, and Professor Khin Maung, some of whom would later become leaders of resistance organizations themselves.

During the 1978 Nagamin (Dragon King) Operation, when large numbers of Rohingya were forcibly displaced, many young people joined Jafar’s organization, and the Rohingya Patriotic Front (RPF) grew stronger than before. Jafar worked to draw international attention to what he regarded as the intentions of Ne Win’s government behind the 1978 Nagamin Operation. Through publications such as Rohingyas’ Outcry and Demands and Genocide in Burma Against the Muslims of Arakan, he sought to bring international attention to the systematic repression and persecution of the Rohingya and to present their demands to the wider world. He also submitted reports to international human-rights bodies in an effort to seek justice for the Rohingya. In addition, he sent representatives to a World Muslim Conference held in Malaysia.

After 1978, Jafar travelled to Saudi Arabia, where he met with Muslim leaders from around the world, including Muslim leaders from the Philippines. Upon his return from Saudi Arabia, an internal revolt broke out within the Rohingya Patriotic Front (RPF). Jafar, however, succeeded in reconciling and reorganizing those within the movement who had developed disagreements.

As the RPF began to regain its strength, another internal power struggle arose over the leadership of the organization. Vice-President Shabbir Hussein, also known as U Maung Tin, removed Jafar and assumed control of the leadership. Jafar then rallied the comrades who remained loyal to him and reorganized the RPF. He appointed Dalil Ahmad as the military commander.

B. A. Jafar’s selfless involvement in the resistance movement inspired and nurtured a new generation of young activists who would later dedicate, and in some cases sacrifice, their lives for the Rohingya people. His movement also helped produce a new generation of resistance leaders. While striving to realize his dream of the “liberation of the Rohingya people,” Jafar passed away from hepatitis on November 6, 1987, before he could see that dream fulfilled. Until his final breath, B. A. Jafar remained steadfastly committed to the national resistance movement and worked tirelessly for its cause. In the history of the Rohingya resistance movement, B. A. Jafar will forever be remembered as an unfading star whose legacy continues to shine.

## Sources

- Jilani, A. F. K. (1999). The Rohingyas of Arakan: Their Quest for Justice. Ahmed Jilani.
- Siddique, M. (n.d.). Akaabere Arakan (Urdu version).

## Photographs

- ![Photograph of B. A. Jafar](https://people.rohingya.ro/photos/b-a-jafar.webp)

---
From Rohingya Famous People, https://people.rohingya.ro/people/b-a-jafar/ (updated 2026-11-04)