Flames on the Frontier: Why China and India Must Act as Islamic Jihadist Waves Surge Along Bangladesh’s Border
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| Chinese and Indian Investment Sites in Arakan (photocrd) |
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| ARSA Terrorists inside Bangladesh (photocrd) |
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| Map of Greater Bangladesh Promoted by Some Extremist Factions (photocrd) |
In the volatile borderlands of Rakhine, where the Naf River separates Myanmar and Bangladesh, a dangerous transformation is unfolding. Militant groups such as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO) are expanding their operations from the shadows, turning the region into a breeding ground of cross-border jihadist activity. What was once dismissed as local unrest has now become a regional security crisis — one that threatens the strategic interests of both China and India.
These groups, long tolerated in the Bangladeshi borderlands, have evolved into active assault forces, targeting the Arakan Army (AA), civilian communities, and transport routes inside northern Arakan. Their ambushes, kidnappings, and assassinations have intensified, aiming not only to destabilise the local administration but also to ignite communal tensions between Buddhists and Muslims. The psychological warfare at play is clear: spread chaos, discredit the Arakanese movement, and weaken the people’s trust in their emerging governance.
For China, Rakhine is home to vital Belt and Road projects — the Kyaukphyu deep-sea port and the oil-gas pipelines that serve as a crucial energy corridor. For India, the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transport Project connects the Bay of Bengal to its northeastern frontier. Both nations depend on the stability of Arakan, yet jihadist escalation along the Bangladesh border threatens to derail these billion-dollar ambitions. Every militant strike near the frontier is not just a local incident — it is a warning shot to Beijing and New Delhi alike.
Behind the scenes, evidence increasingly points to a disturbing triangle of cooperation: the Myanmar military junta, certain elements within Bangladeshi security forces, and Islamist militant networks operating under different banners. Their collaboration in arms trafficking, intelligence exchange, and logistical supply chains has emboldened cross-border terrorism. Camps inside Bangladesh have quietly transformed into militant training grounds and storage hubs, while the junta’s desperation for allies has led it to tolerate, even exploit, extremist actors for its own political survival.
China and India cannot afford silence. The longer they overlook the growing jihadist networks along the Bangladesh-Arakan frontier, the more they risk losing influence in a region that underpins their strategic ambitions. To preserve peace and economic interests, both nations must urgently pressure Dhaka and Naypyidaw to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries and acknowledge the legitimate administrative structure emerging under the Arakan Army. Supporting a locally grounded, inclusive governance system is the only sustainable firewall against radical infiltration.
The battle lines are drawn not just in Rakhine but across the geopolitical map of South and Southeast Asia. The rising jihadist tide along Bangladesh’s border is no longer a peripheral concern — it is a direct threat to the balance of regional power. China and India must act decisively before this frontier of opportunity becomes a frontier of fire.
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