Experts including academics, a former diplomat and a retired army officer have suggested that the government should consult political parties in the absence of parliament and assess risk factors before allowing a ‘humanitarian passage’ to the conflict-ridden Rakhine State of Myanmar since it is a matter of national security.
They said that Bangladesh should take into consideration its international legal consequences and security aspects as well before giving such a passage to the conflict zone, considered to be highly sensitive from a geopolitical point of view, as global powers like China, Russia and India have their own interests there. Â
There is a risk of getting involved in a ‘proxy war’ by establishing such a corridor to the conflict zone through Bangladesh, said retired Major General ANM Muniruzzaman, the president of the independent think tank Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies.
‘Rakhine is a complex conflict zone where China, Russia and India have geopolitical interests. They may react adversely if it affects their interests and it will not be possible for us to absorb it,’ he said on Wednesday.
He said that the interim government of Professor Muhammad Yunus must consult with the political parties and obtain their consent before accepting the United Nations’ proposal since it was a vital national decision and there was no parliament in the country at present.
On April 27, foreign adviser Md Touhid Hossain disclosed Bangladesh’s position on the UN proposal for providing a humanitarian channel to the Rakhine State of Myanmar facing civil war since 2021.
The adviser said that Bangladesh agreed in principle to provide a humanitarian passage to Rakhine in line with a UN proposal that drew repercussions from various quarters including political parties.
A former ambassador and the president of the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, M Humayun Kabir, underlined the need for ensuring security as the Myanmar government did not have any control there.
‘All stakeholders including political parties must be consulted since it is a highly important issue involving security aspects,’ he said.Â
Humayun, also a former foreign affairs secretary, said that it was important to settle first who would ensure the security of the passage and to make sure whether the aid reached the target people in the Rakhine State.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, speaking at a programme on April 28, strongly objected to the government decision, stating that the interim government should have consulted political parties beforehand, as the issue concerned the country’s independence, sovereignty and the future peace and stability of the region.
‘Before making any decision on providing a humanitarian passage to Rakhine, the government should hold discussions with all stakeholders and take the opinions of the political parties. Because, it involves serious matters of national sovereignty and security,’ Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki said on Thursday.
Otherwise, such a decision related to interrelated matters like geopolitics, development in Rakhine, and the Rohingya crisis would create a distance between the interim government and the country’s people, he said.
He said that the government should also assess risk factors and share those with the political parties so that the people are aware of Bangladesh’s strategy and stay with the government in any situation over these issues.
The international affairs experts, however, said that Bangladesh could go ahead with the proposal if all the parties including the Myanmar government, the Arakan Army and the Bangladesh government reach an agreement over the matter with the UN in providing aid to the Rakhine State where ethnic armed group Arakan Army had taken control of almost 80 per cent of the area from the Myanmar junta forces.
They added that there was a fear that more Rohingyas might try to enter Bangladesh in case of an acute food crisis in Rakhine as the Myanmar junta government had cut off all supplies to the area after they had lost their control amid fighting with rebel groups in different areas, they added.
‘Bangladesh may see another influx of Rohingya seeking refuge here if there is a famine-like situation in Rakhine,’ Humayun Kabir expressed fear.Â
He said that providing the humanitarian channel to Rakhine did not have any link with the Rohingya repatriation at this stage.
Dhaka University international relations professor Niloy Ranjan Biswas also said that security was the most important issue in the case where there were many parties to the conflict in Myanmar.
He, however, said that international intervention was necessary for ensuring a permanent ceasefire and the repatriation of Rohingyas from Bangladesh as well since it was considered as the primary solution to the Rohingya crisis.
‘A temporary ceasefire is there following the recent earthquake in Myanmar. But a permanent ceasefire is necessary to establish the proposed humanitarian corridor so that security is ensured. This is why international intervention is needed for sending aid in a secured manner and sending back the Rohingyas to their homeland,’ Professor Niloy said.
DU Professor Syeda Rozana Rashid of the same department, however, said that Bangladesh did not have other options, but to allow the humanitarian passage under the UN to begin the repatriation process at the earliest.
Asked whether Bangladesh would become a party to the conflict, she said that it was too early to reach such a conclusion. Â
More than 1.3 million Myanmar nationals of the Rohingya community have fled to Bangladesh amid brutal atrocities in the Rakhine State by the Myanmar military since 2017, according to Bangladesh government data.
Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has pressed the Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner to ensure accommodation of 1.13 lakh more Rohingyas, who entered Bangladesh between November 2023 and April 27, 2025, amid uncertainty of repatriation.
RRRC officials said that Rohingyas continued to enter Bangladesh as conflicts in Myanmar’s Rakhine state went on.
