For years, the Rohingya crisis was seen as a sorrow confined within Myanmar’s troubled borders – a humanitarian disaster to be managed through refugee camps, UN aid programs, and diplomatic appeals. But that illusion has now shattered. What began as a domestic campaign of persecution and displacement has evolved into a full-blown regional emergency, destabilizing the Bay of Bengal region and threatening the delicate balance of Southeast Asian and South Asian security. From the shores of Bangladesh to the coasts of Malaysia and Indonesia, the reverberations of Myanmar’s conflict are spreading fast, creating what may soon become one of Asia’s most intractable humanitarian and geopolitical challenges.

Recent reports from the United Nations and independent human rights monitors have painted a grim picture of renewed violence in Rakhine State. The fierce clashes between the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) and the Arakan Army have once again trapped the Rohingya – stateless and systematically marginalized – in the crossfire. Villages have been torched, homes destroyed, and communities uprooted. In many areas, security outposts have replaced neighborhoods, signaling a deliberate effort to permanently alter the demographic landscape of western Myanmar.

With land routes sealed and conflict zones expanding, thousands of Rohingya are now being forced to flee toward the coast, embarking on perilous sea journeys in fragile, overcrowded boats. This new wave of maritime migration mirrors the horrors of the 2015 Andaman Sea crisis, when thousands were stranded at sea for weeks, denied entry by regional governments. Once again, the Bay of Bengal is witnessing scenes of desperation – entire families risking their lives for even the faintest hope of safety.

Nowhere is the impact of this renewed exodus felt more acutely than in Bangladesh. The country already hosts nearly one million Rohingya refugees in the sprawling camps of Cox’s Bazar – the largest refugee settlement on Earth. Initially hailed for its humanitarian generosity, Bangladesh now faces an unsustainable burden. International aid for the camps has been drastically cut, with food rations reduced by nearly one-third. Malnutrition among children has reached alarming levels, and education opportunities remain........

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