Deeply concerned by the interim government's approval of a humanitarian corridor from the Chittagong Hill Tracts to Myanmar's Rakhine State, the BNP plans to launch initiatives with all political parties to resist the move, describing it as a threat to Bangladesh’s independence and sovereignty.
Talking to UNB, three BNP standing committee members said they would take all possible steps, in consultation with other political parties, to mount pressure on the government to abandon this risky plan that could turn Bangladesh into a battlefield like Palestine.
They said the BNP would either send a letter to the government or dispatch a delegation to meet the Chief Adviser to learn more about the Rakhine corridor.
The BNP leaders said their party’s standing committee, at its meeting on Monday night, discussed the matter in detail with serious concerns.
They said the meeting decided to engage with like-minded parties on the issue and simultaneously gather information on the government's actual intentions in this regard, as well as evidence concerning the real situation in Rakhine.
Later, the party will present the entire matter to the nation based on facts and logic, highlighting that an unelected government, lacking the people’s mandate, has no authority to take decisions on such a highly sensitive issue.
On Saturday, Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain announced that the interim government, in principle, agreed to allow a humanitarian corridor under UN supervision, subject to certain conditions.
He, however, did not provide further details on the matter.
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BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, speaking at a programme on Monday, strongly objected to the decision, stating that the interim government should have consulted political parties beforehand, as the issue concerns the country’s independence, sovereignty and the future peace and stability of the region.
“Such passages have been used to send aid to war-torn Gaza via Jordan. We do not want our country to become another Gaza… We don’t want to turn into another Gaza. We don’t want to see war anymore. We don’t even want anyone to come here and create trouble for us. We’re already in a big crisis with the Rohingya,” he said.
Later that night, the BNP policymakers, in a virtual meeting presided over by party Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, voiced similar concerns.
“We have taken the issue so seriously that our meeting was entirely focused on this single issue. Almost all members of our standing committee expressed their anger over the interim government’s move to provide a humanitarian corridor for Rakhine State, Myanmar, without consulting political parties,” said a BNP policymaker.
He said their party believes that an unelected government, without a mandate from the people, has no jurisdiction to make a decisions on matters related to the country's security and sovereignty.
“In a context where a state of war prevails in Myanmar—where the military junta and the Arakan Army are engaged in a nationwide conflict, and the junta has halted all supplies to suppress the Arakan Army—we also discussed how reasonable it would be for Bangladesh to provide a humanitarian corridor, and whether that could pose a threat to the country’s security,” the BNP leader said.
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Another BNP policymaker said while Bangladesh has already been bearing the burden of over a million Rohingya, who were allowed in on humanitarian grounds, the country should not be dragged into another crisis by providing a humanitarian corridor.
The BNP leader said the party has sympathy for the people of Rakhine, as UN reports indicate the region is currently facing a severe humanitarian crisis. “But Bangladesh must also understand the views of neighbouring countries, particularly China and India, on the issue.”
At their meeting, he noted that a BNP standing committee member mentioned that the humanitarian corridor could be part of an international agenda to destabilise the region and possibly create a Christian state involving parts of the Chittagong Hill Tracts and Myanmar.
He warned that if such plans are implemented, Bangladesh risks becoming another Palestine.
Contacted, BNP Standing Committee Member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said, “We are not fully aware of the matter yet. From media reports, we have learned that the government has unilaterally taken such an important decision without any discussion with the people or political parties.”
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He said they have heard that the government plans to allow the corridor on humanitarian grounds, with certain conditions. “But we do not know what those conditions are.”
The BNP leader urged the government to clearly inform the nation about the decision and the specific conditions involved.
“We, too, are gathering relevant information and evidence on the issue. We will also discuss it with relevant experts and stakeholders. Once we have done so, our party will announce its formal position,” he said.
BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed expressed astonishment over the government’s decision, saying, “If this decision is implemented, it will jeopardise Bangladesh's security, peace, stability, territorial integrity and national sovereignty.”
He cautioned that any move which could potentially trigger military conflict with any party in Myanmar would pose a grave risk to Bangladesh. “So, such a sensitive decision must be taken with the utmost caution, based on consensus and only after discussions with all political parties and social forces.”
In response to a query, Salahuddin said, “We will ask the government whether any discussions were held with the United Nations or any other party regarding the humanitarian corridor. If so, what were the conditions? Why was this decision taken? Once we hear the government's explanation, we will determine our next course of action.”