New Delhi: The proposed ‘Rakhine Corridor’ has emerged as another contentious issue in Bangladesh. Some sources confirmed that it is already operational and supplies in sealed containers have reached Rakhine State in a clandestine manner.
On May 8, the “advance” United States Air Force (USAF) team reportedly arrived in Dhaka signalling the imminent landing of “a large and sensitive cargo” by air with four US Air Force officers. Sources confirmed that the United States military will play a very critical role in any future military operations in the Rakhine State and the team has landed in Dhaka in this connection.
The US officers before they cross-over to Rakhine State will be holding meetings with Bangladeshi officials. Recently elevated Bangladesh National Security Advisor (NSA) and High Representative on Rohingya issue, Khalilur Rahman had a closed-door meeting with Lt Gen Kamrul Hassan, Principal Staff Officer in the Armed Forces Division, before meeting the Army chief Gen Waker-uz-Zaman on Thursday.
Rahman reportedly claimed that the UN-supported Humanitarian Aid Corridor would help to stabilise Rakhine State and create conditions for the return of refugees.
It may be mentioned that on a visit to Bangladesh in March this year, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres proposed to establish humanitarian or UN Aid corridor in Myanmar’s Rakhine State wherein Bangladesh would provide logistics support. Guterres visited Cox’s Bazaar on March 14 and met Rohingya refugees and appreciated Bangladeshi people who have hosted them. He urged the international community to step up support and to resolve the Rohingya refugees crisis. Guterres had also visited Cox’s Bazar in July 2018. UNSG stated that UN and the international community have failed to stop the conflict in Myanmar. In September this year, the UNGA would organise a conference on the plight of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar.
However, Tarique Rahman, BNP’s Acting Chairman publicly opposed this proposal on May 1, citing security and sovereignty issues. According to local media, while addressing the Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, the labour wing of BNP, Rahman had stated that the decision by the interim government to allow Bangladesh to be used as a Humanitarian Corridor to send humanitarian aid to Rakhine State in Myanmar, currently embroiled in internal politics, is a sensitive issue related directly to Bangladesh’s independence & sovereignty. The interim government did not inform the people and, moreover, did not even felt the need to hold discussions with the political parties.
There are divergent views within the Bangladeshi army on the issue of Humanitarian Corridor.
According to Northeast News, while one section primarily led by DGFI gives it a “priority in managing, controlling and ensuring stability at the border”, the present Army Chief and other GoCs understand that the US would like to play through the Bangladesh army in backing the Arakan Army (AA) and other People’s Defence Forces (PDFs) in Myanmar, challenging the Junta. A policy paper has been circulated led by the AFD & DGFI “to reduce the burden on the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) by declaring the Bangladesh-Myanmar border a Military Operations Zone”.
In this US plan, the Bangladesh Army’s Ramu-based 10th Infantry Division has emerged as a key strategic hub. The 17th and 24th Infantry Divisions of the Bangladesh Army are also expected to play critical roles in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, aimed at providing Western-backed logistical and supply support to the Arakan Army.
On April 18, Khalilur Rahman held a meeting with senior officers of the 10th Infantry Division in Ramu. It is through this Division and the proposed logistics support base in Silkhali near Teknaf, that Bangladesh is playing an indirect but significant role. Senior Bangladeshi army officials of Directorate of Military Operations are involved in plans to expand strategic influence of Bangladesh. Plans are underway to include armed Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) in this process. A Sector Commander of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), in a specific area under Army’s 10 Division, would be the main coordinator for providing supplies to the Arakan Army.
The Arakan Army controls the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. Sources confirm that Myanmar’s military Junta currently maintains control over only three townships in Rakhine State — Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, and Manang. The remaining areas have either fallen under Arakan Army’s control or are on the verge of doing so. Under these circumstances, a West-backed proxy war is poised to begin, with Bangladesh becoming a strategically significant partner in supporting the Arakan Army militarily against Junta. Last month, NSI chief Major General Abu Mohammad Sarwar Farid, along with two other officers, had a crucial meeting with British external intelligence officers MI6/Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) in a bid to brief the foreign interlocutors on this Humanitarian Corridor. DG-DGFI Major General Jahangir Alam and Brigadier General Syed Anwar Mahmud had met CIA officers in April during their visit to the US.
It may mentioned that Lieutenant General Joel “JB” Vowell, Deputy Commanding General for US Army Pacific (USARPAC) had visited Dhaka from March 24-25 March, 2025. His visit was the first by a senior US General in the Muhammad Yunus-led interim Administration since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August, 2024.
In this context, a high-level US State Department delegation arrived in Dhaka on April 16, 2025. The delegation, accompanied by 12-13 additional staff members, quietly visited the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and Cox’s Bazar to assess the ground realities and reviewed geographic and logistical conditions in preparation for future operations. It could, however, not be confirmed whether they visited Silkhali (approximately 30 km north of Teknaf) where the Bangladesh Army is constructing a major logistics support base. This site is expected to serve as the main conduit for the delivery of non-lethal supplies and other resources to the Arakan Army and Chin National Front (CNF).
As per Pressenza, the USARPAC is supposed to provide logistics and security for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Rakhine State, which faces acute famine according to the UNDP report of November 2024. The report stated that Rakhine is on the verge of an unprecedented disaster due to combination of interlinked issues, its economy is dysfunctional with essential services and social safety net almost non-existent. With the near total trade halt, over two million people are at risk of starvation.
Behind the guise of a Humanitarian Corridor, a larger political project of ‘Arakan Federation’ is emerging, which is likely to impact Bangladesh’s southeastern areas of Teknaf and Bandarban in Chittagong division. While this collaboration may shift the regional security balance, it could also generate new tensions in Bangladesh-India and Bangladesh-Myanmar bilateral relations. Referring to the “so called Humanitarian Corridor”, China’s Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen stated in Dhaka on May 8 that Beijing was not involved in it and respects sovereignty and territorial integrity of any country.
As to the question of what Bangladesh aims to achieve through this Humanitarian Corridor, the answer is simple: It would get Western aid; military equipment, dollars; surveillance base in its own territory besides intelligence gathering by the western countries.
The world has noticed the total failure of Humanitarian Corridors in the cases of Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Ukraine. There are no specific laws for governing Humanitarian Corridors or Safe Zones. Voluntary agreements result in disrespect by those who are fighting, thereby harming the lives of civilians and humanitarian workers.
The key question therefore is if Yunus is the main player in the larger and complex gameplan of the West in Bangladesh and South Asia? The US too is keen to establish a base in the region. Looking at the nine months of interim government’s administration, the true motives are emerging. Yunus is becoming a puppet of the West with hidden agenda straining international reputation of Bangladesh and destroying the secular fabric of the country. Bangladesh Army is under duress from the US military and intelligence agency to complete this Humanitarian Corridor and many doubt it will be ever fully functional as establishing these corridors is usually not an easy task. If Bangladesh builds the corridor with the US furtively playing a role, it would be a direct interference in Myanmar’s internal affairs and an escalation of the armed conflict.
(The writer is an expert on South Asia and Eurasia. He was formerly with Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. Views expressed are personal)
–IANS
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