New corridor at Bangladesh and Myanmar border, 'dangerous plan' in name of Rohingya Muslims, tension for India due to...
File Photo (Indranil Mukherjee/AFP)
New Delhi: Since Operation Sindoor, the world's attention has been focused on the India-Pakistan border, but something significant is also happening at the northeastern border of the country, namely Bangladesh. Due to the civil war in Myanmar, a large number of Rohingya Muslims have sought refuge in Bangladesh in recent years. Bangladesh is looking for a way to facilitate the return of the Rohingyas to Myanmar. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Dhaka in March and proposed the creation of a 'humanitarian corridor' for the return of Rohingya refugees.
The interim government of Bangladesh, led by Muhammad Yunus is moving forward with this project. At first glance, this seems like a matter between Bangladesh and Myanmar, but this corridor could also become a concern for India due to the long border it shares with Myanmar and Bangladesh.
According to a report by Firstpost, Bangladesh's National Security Advisor (NSA) and High Representative for Rohingya Affairs Khalilur Rahman intends to move forward with this corridor without any internal or external consent. Rahman is considered a staunch supporter of the United States, and it is believed that the United States is behind this corridor as well.
Meanwhile, the Rohingya refugees settled in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, have been refusing to return to Rakhine, Myanmar.
The Awami League, the party of Sheikh Hasina, is opposed to the government's decision to create a humanitarian corridor. Their argument is that the authority to make such decisions rests not with the interim government but with an elected one. The Awami League claims that this corridor could be used against the military junta in Myanmar. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has also criticized this. Many organizations are stating that the corridor poses a threat to Bangladesh's sovereignty.
Decisions such as creating a corridor for Myanmar are bound to affect the fragile regional stability of India's neighborhood. Yunus's decision could strengthen the Arakan Army (AA), a rebel group fighting against the junta regime. This will help China increase its influence in Myanmar and will escalate regional instability.
India is in contact with both sides. India has continued discussions with both parties – the junta and rebel groups – to secure its 1,640-kilometer-long border with Myanmar, but this corridor will complicate India's path. Khalilur Rahman's emphasis on a humanitarian corridor amidst political instability in Bangladesh indicates that Washington is working towards this. Recently, a significant cargo from the United States also arrived in Dhaka. This increases the likelihood that the corridor will be used to send weapons to the Arakan Army.
There is also a fear that this corridor will not only be used to send military equipment to rebel groups in Myanmar, but it could also be used by terrorist organizations in Bangladesh for illegal drug trafficking. Myanmar is the largest center for opium cultivation and synthetic drug production. In this context, it is certain that concerns will increase for India along its long border with Myanmar and Bangladesh. This could lead to unrest along India's northeastern borders.
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