Bangladesh’s Peaceful Image at Risk Amid Border Militancy Allegations
 |
| A BGB Member on the Border (photocrd) |
 |
| RSO Militants Inside Bangladesh (photcrd) |
 |
| ARSA Members Inside Bangladesh (photocrd) |
 |
| Mro Civilians Killed by ARSA in July 18, 2024 (Photocrd)
|
Bangladesh, long regarded as a peace-loving nation and humanitarian refuge for Rohingya refugees, is facing mounting scrutiny over reports of border force complicity with militant groups operating along the Myanmar frontier.
Local sources and community reports suggest elements within the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) are enabling the activities of the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO) and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). Both groups, designated as militant organizations, are accused of using Bangladeshi territory and refugee camps as staging grounds for cross-border attacks, arms smuggling, and recruitment. The allegations strike at the core of Bangladesh’s decades-old diplomatic narrative as a secular, moderate state free from extremist ties.
Observers note that the shift coincides with heightened political maneuvering before national elections in late 2025. Some political figures are accused of courting conservative voters by tolerating or even encouraging militant rhetoric and activity near the 271-kilometer Myanmar border. This change, critics warn, risks alienating key international partners such as India and the United States, who view ARSA as a regional security threat.
In Cox’s Bazar and other refugee sites, militants allegedly receive safe passage, forged documents, and intelligence from sympathetic officials. Camps intended as sanctuaries for displaced Rohingya have reportedly been transformed into strongholds where propaganda circulates openly and targeted killings of suspected informants occur. Cross-border attacks from Bangladeshi soil have also been reported, including deadly raids on Rakhine villages and assaults on Arakan Army (AA) outposts.
Compounding the crisis is the rise of drug trafficking along the Bangladesh-Myanmar frontier. Sources describe a thriving yaba and heroin trade routed through Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong. Militant groups allegedly profit from this narco-terror economy, with BGB checkpoints accused of turning a blind eye in exchange for bribes.
Analysts warn that unchecked complicity risks transforming the Bangladesh-Myanmar border into a permanent conflict zone. India may tighten borders, while Western donors funding humanitarian aid for refugees could scale back support if Dhaka is perceived as abetting militancy. Experts stress that decisive action is needed to restore confidence in Bangladesh’s secular and humanitarian commitments. Without urgent reforms, critics fear Dhaka’s reputation as a peacekeeper may give way to an image of a state complicit in extremism and regional instability.
Comments
Post a Comment