The Pulse | Diplomacy | South Asia

Bangladesh’s Myanmar Border Challenge Is No Longer Just About the Rohingya

Bangladeshis are being abducted and killed by the Arakan Army, the de facto authority in areas along the border. But Dhaka can’t use official channels to talk to a non-state actor.

Bangladeshi fishermen prepare to set off to catch fish in the Naf River in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. January 11, 2022.

On February 7, nine-year-old Huzaifa Sultana died in a Dhaka hospital, 27 days after a stray bullet fired from across the Myanmar border struck her in the head. Huzaifa had gone with her grandfather to buy snacks from a nearby shop and it was while she was returning home that she was hit.

On March 28, 13 Bangladeshi fishermen from Teknaf were reportedly detained by the Arakan Army (AA) while fishing in the Naf River, which forms the international border between southwestern Bangladesh and Myanmar. Then, on May 24, three Bangladeshis were killed in a landmine explosion near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border at Naikhongchhari.

These are among dozens of incidents reported along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in recent years. Several Bangladeshi fishermen have also been abducted by the AA, disrupting the livelihood of many people living along the Naf River. The AA is an armed group that operates in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

These incidents have underscored that the armed conflict in Myanmar is no longer a distant crisis taking place across the border. Its consequences are increasingly being felt inside Bangladesh.

For years, Bangladesh’s approach to Myanmar has been defined by one issue — the massive flow of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled a crackdown by the Myanmar military in Rakhine State in 2017 and crossed into Cox’s Bazar, joining earlier waves of refugee populations. Their numbers have swelled to more than a million at present.

Their repatriation back to Myanmar has dominated Dhaka’s Myanmar policy. But the political and security dynamics across the border have shifted profoundly.

Since Myanmar’s 2021 military coup, the country has descended into civil war. In Rakhine State, the AA has emerged as the dominant force, capturing much of the territory bordering Bangladesh. In large areas across the Naf River, effective authority now rests not with the Myanmar military but with the AA.

The impact of this new reality is perhaps most visible on the Naf River.

The clearest example is the growing number of Bangladeshi fishermen detained by the AA. Reports citing Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), local officials, and fishermen’s associations show that several hundred fishermen have been detained from the Naf River and adjacent waters since the group consolidated control along the border.

Since December 8, 2024, when the AA seized Maungdaw and took control of the Myanmar side of the border, at least 399 Bangladeshi fishermen have been abducted.

As of May 2026, some 165 of them remain in rebel custody. Some have been held for over a year, with many families still unsure whether their relatives are alive. This has, by all accounts, become a hostage crisis.

For many families, the consequences are severe. Fishing remains one of the primary sources of income in large parts of southeastern Bangladesh. Many fishermen borrow money from boat owners or traders before going to sea. When they are detained, households lose income while debt obligations remain.

The geography of the Naf River further complicates the situation. The river is narrow, tidal, and difficult to navigate. Fishermen often point to strong currents, shifting sandbars, and poorly demarcated boundaries that can push boats toward Myanmar’s side of the border. Bangladeshi authorities have also acknowledged that sometimes fishermen cross the border accidentally.

Former........

© The Diplomat