Distinguished Professor Ali Riaz has published a commentary in the Diplomat news magazine on Bangladesh’s Myanmar policy in the wake of intensified civil war in Myanmar.
Since October of last year, ethnic armed organizations (EAO) have launched coordinated attacks on the Myanmar military in three states and have made significant gains. Arakan state, the home of the Rohingya Muslim community bordering Bangladesh, has witnessed serious escalation and the conflict is spilling over the border. More than 1.3 million Rohingya took refuge in Bangladesh in 2017 in the face of genocide perpetrated by the Myanmar army. The Arakan Army (AA), a rebel EAO, has captured a large swath of area and several military posts, especially close to the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.
Dr. Riaz argues that the Bangladesh government is faced with three options as the situation is rapidly evolving. These options are to continue the status quo of maintaining a distance from the rebel advance and working with the ruling military junta that captured power in 2021; establish contacts with the AA, albeit unofficially, and work with them as they may help Bangladesh repatriate the Rohingyas; and provide support to the Myanmar military government to stem the advance of the AA. He noted the urgency of the situation and writes, “the time is running out.”
