Border News Agency
Dhaka, May 4, 2025
Bangladesh’s National Security Adviser, Major General (Retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, has confirmed that no formal agreement has yet been reached to establish a humanitarian corridor into Myanmar’s Rakhine State, amid rising concerns over the escalating conflict and the dire humanitarian situation across the border.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, the adviser clarified that while discussions are ongoing at various levels, especially with international actors, the idea of setting up a corridor to send aid to conflict-affected areas in Myanmar has not materialized into any formal understanding.
“There is no such agreement,” Siddique stated. “We are monitoring the situation closely and maintaining communication, but nothing has been decided yet.”
The confirmation comes amid growing international calls for safe access to civilians affected by the renewed fighting in Rakhine, where the Arakan Army (AA) is engaged in heavy clashes with Myanmar’s military junta. The fighting has displaced thousands of civilians, including many ethnic Rohingya, further complicating the already protracted refugee crisis.
Reports earlier suggested that Bangladesh might facilitate aid delivery through a cross-border humanitarian initiative, potentially coordinated by the United Nations. However, any such move would require cooperation from both the Myanmar government and non-state actors such as the AA, which currently controls large areas in northern Rakhine.
Bangladesh’s government, while expressing its willingness to support humanitarian operations, has emphasized the need for sovereign consent and regional stability before any formal agreement can be enacted.
Foreign policy experts warn that any initiative involving armed non-state actors like the Arakan Army is diplomatically sensitive. Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain recently reiterated that Bangladesh does not engage in official negotiations with non-state actors, although informal contacts and backchannel communications are not ruled out.
The ongoing unrest in Rakhine poses significant security challenges for Bangladesh, which shares a 271-kilometer border with the troubled region. The country is already hosting over one million Rohingya refugees who fled military crackdowns in Myanmar in 2017.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh continues to advocate for the voluntary, safe, and dignified repatriation of the Rohingya to their homeland. Efforts for repatriation have stalled repeatedly due to instability in Myanmar and the lack of safety guarantees for returnees.
As international pressure mounts on Myanmar’s junta and rebel groups to allow humanitarian access, Dhaka is expected to maintain a cautious yet proactive approach, prioritizing national security while working with international stakeholders to address the growing humanitarian crisis next door.
For now, however, the idea of a humanitarian corridor into Rakhine remains in the realm of possibility, not practice.
In the final phase of the Arakan decisive war, the Arakan Army has taken full control of 15 townships, including Paletwa, and is implementing administrative mechanisms under the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government.
