Bangladesh continues to be a collateral victim of Myanmar’s internal politics and Indo-China rivalry in the region. The latest border problem is a result of the Myanmar government’s continuing war with the Arakan Army (AA), one of the most organized ethnic rebel groups inside Myanmar. Yangon has told Bangladesh that the shells landing in Bangladesh were actually lobbed by the AA. The sub-text added was that AA wants to see worsening BD-Myanmar relations. Bangladesh media has been portraying the issue as a Myanmar-BD problem but facts always don’t support this. The AA is also fully supported by China who is using them and other rebel groups to spread its influence in the eastern side of the region. India fears that this is meant to weaken its position in the region. It has always been wary of rebel activities in Myanmar. And it’s not just because of shared ethnic groups in both countries who are militant too. Both Pakistan and China have supported such groups hoping to gain advantage against India, their media says. Also read: Fear grips border areas as Myanmar fighter jets fire towards Bangladesh The Arakan Army and Myanmar Myanmar has said that the Arakan Army and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) both from the Rakhine zone- are responsible for the recent troubles. This message was conveyed to the Bangladesh's ambassador in Yangon recently. Incidentally, both groups are fighting Yangon and have often taken shelter in Bangladesh’s hilly areas. The reason why there appears to be a sudden escalation within Myanmar for the last 3/4 weeks is because the central authority is weakening due to its economic difficulties. However, the official army is also able to strike back strongly and hence the escalation. U Zaw Phyo Win, a top official -director-general of the foreign ministry's Strategic Studies and Training Department- at Myanmar's foreign ministry, called in Ambassador Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury to clarify the situation. Recent armed encounters in Myanmar between the AA and official forces have seen body counts on both sides and a police outpost in Maungdaw Township was captured by the rebels. “The director general expressed Myanmar's willingness to work with Bangladesh to maintain tranquility along the border and stressed the significance of "full and reciprocal cooperation" in that regard. (BDnews24) Shelter in Bangladesh: ARSA Myanmar has also informed that both AA and ARSA have shelters inside Bangladeshi and asked for the termination of the same. This is a fact but it’s not a political shelter as part of any Bangladeshi intent. ARSA or similar groups such as Rohingya Liberation Front (RLF) was sheltered and trained and supplied with arms by Bangladesh during the 1992-93 period when Rohingyas came in. Pakistan’s ISI helped the operation and it was mentioned in the local media also. Later, most of the refugees returned home and the weapons’ left behind by these groups used to be regularly found in the hilly areas of Cox’s Bazar. Also read: Myanmar’s shelling inside Bangladesh “unintentional mistake”, Momen says in NY Current Rohingya refugees have a smattering of ARSA activists among them but are hardly a serious threat. They appear to have been dormant in the last few years without a major sponsor. However, Myanmar has always used them as an excuse to push out Rohingyas and blame Bangladesh. The Arakan Army The Arakan Army is a very different ball game because its way more serious with near official support by China and links with other China supported groups inside Myanmar. China does have a huge stake in the region and the lack of any central authority has allowed China to build its base in that troubled zone. The AA group has sophisticated weaponry including 50 of the MANPADS (Man-Portable Air Defense Systems) surface-to-air missiles. This outfit does have shelter in the Bandarban area including Naikahanchari where they apparently have significant sized camps. BGB leaves them alone and rightly as it can’t afford to risk a large-scale confrontation. The famine a few years back that struck that area may have been caused by AA forbidding harvesting for a period of time. Can Dhaka do much? Briefing ambassadors from ASEAN countries, Rear Admiral Md Khurshed Alam, acting secretary of foreign affairs said “We took in the Rohingya five years ago and they have not taken a single one back. As our prime minister has said, we are working on the matter patiently. This cannot be allowed to continue.” When told that Myanmar has blamed the rebels, Khurshed said: “They have been saying similar things since the start.” Bangladesh can neither afford a war it can’t win nor expect the problem to go away. The matter is not in Bangladesh or even Myanmar’s hands as it’s obvious that big power politics dominates the conflict which has resulted in the current situation.   The refugees are not going home soon either. Unless China trains the AA better to fire missiles and helps the Myanmar military to envision a peace deal in which more than half the country is not under official state authority, these border trifles will go on. For Bangladesh the focus should be more on the Teesta barrage project where BD-China interests slot in smoothly.

Myanmar has claimed that the Arakan Army and terrorist group ARSA used the same weapons and attacked the Taungpyo (Right) Border Guard Police Outpost at BP-34 on September 16 and 17, 2022 when nine mortar shells landed on Bangladeshi soil. Zaw Phyo Win, Director-General of Strategic Studies and Training Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Myanmar met Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury, Ambassador of Bangladesh to Myanmar, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Yangon on Monday. The director-general claimed that Arakan Army and terrorist group ARSA have been deliberately carrying out such attacks to cause “negative consequences” on the existing “cordial bilateral relations” between Bangladesh and Myanmar, according to the Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Also read: MOFA lodges strong protest over Myanmar’s mortar shells into Bangladesh He said Myanmar will cooperate with Bangladesh to maintain peace in the border areas and stressed the significance of full and reciprocal cooperation from the Bangladesh side. The director-general stated that while taking the necessary security measures close to the border with utmost caution, the Myanmar side always abides by bilateral agreements and international norms as well as respects the integrity and sovereignty of all nations, including Bangladesh. He recalled that on September 7, 2022, the Bangladeshi side was notified of the information of the trenches and bases of the AA and ARSA terrorists located “inside Bangladesh” through diplomatic channel and reiterated Myanmar’s call to take necessary and immediate actions to investigate on the ground and dismantle those structures and bases. Also read: Unexploded mortar shells found near Bangladesh-Myanmar border Later, he handed over a non-paper containing the Myanmar version of the incidents to the Bangladesh ambassador. During the meeting, the director-general clarified the prevailing on-the-ground situations regarding the firing incidents near Myanmar-Bangladesh border in response to issues raised by the Bangladesh side at the meetings between Myanmar ambassador to Bangladesh and director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh. The director-general apprised that AA and terrorist group ARSA attacked the Taungpyo (Left) Border Guard Police Outpost at BP-31 with mortars on September 16, 2022 when three mortar shells landed inside Bangladesh territory. Read Malaysian foreign minister, int’l lawmakers demand decisive action on Myanmar

Acting foreign secretary Rear Admiral (Retd) Md Khurshed Alam said they had a high-level meeting today (September 18, 2022) with all concerned and urged Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Bangladesh Coast Guard to remain on high alert with “reinforcement”, if required. Khurshed Alam, also secretary at Maritime Affairs Unit (MAU) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Bangladesh is a “responsible and peace-loving” country and they are “observing and tolerating” the situation along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border with much patience. Talking to reporters at the ministry, he said they are in touch with all relevant agencies and the government remains alert so that no Myanmar national can enter Bangladesh. Also read: Myanmar ambassador summoned for the 4th time Earlier in the morning, the Ministry of Foreign Affais summoned the Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh Aung Kyaw Moe for the fourth time and lodged a strong protest over the recent incidents along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. The ambassador was summoned at the office of Md. Najmul Huda, Director General (South East Asia wing) of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Khurshed Alam said Bangladesh conveyed to the ambassador that what’s happening in Myanmar is their internal issue and they need to think how they will solve it. Read BNP urges global community to act against Myanmar's insolent activities He said Bangladesh has told the ambassador to take steps to prevent repetition of such incidents – death and injuries – inside Bangladesh. The acting foreign secretary said the Myanmar envoy listened to the Bangladesh side and assured that he would report to the headquarters. The acting foreign secretary hoped that there will be a solution if Bangladesh remains strong. Bangladesh is not demonstrating any weakness, rather it is conveying its message to Myanmar from a very strong position, he added. Read Do more to cut Myanmar military's revenue, arms supply: UN to countries Asked who will take responsibility of the recent death, the acting foreign secretary said they cannot say exactly who had fired the bullet, though the bullet has “Myanmar army” written on it. He said the Myanmar side was saying these bullets had been stolen by the Arakan Army and they are using these bullets to create "distance" between Bangladesh and Myanmar. “In such a situation, it is difficult to determine who will take the responsibility.” Khurshed Alam said Bangladesh has asked Myanmar to take steps for stopping the spill-over of Myanmar’s internal conflict into Bangladesh.  Read UN experts seek more help for human rights defenders in push for accountability in Myanmar Earlier, Dhaka reiterated its “deep concern” over the recent incidents of Myanmar’s mortar shelling, indiscriminate aerial firing in the bordering areas, and air space violations. On Saturday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said the government is trying to resolve the issues with Myanmar peacefully and diplomatically but a complaint will be lodged to the United Nations regarding mortar shelling at the border if necessary. He said the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry has warned them (Myanmar) several times but they didn’t keep their promise. “We have lodged a strong protest over casualties from Friday’s mortar shelling by Myanmar at Tombru border,” he added. Read Bangladesh wants discussion to avert border tension with Myanmar: Foreign Secretary On Friday night, a 17-year-old-Rohingya boy named Mohammad Iqbal was killed and five others were injured as a mortar shell fired by the Myanmar army exploded at the Zero Point Rohingya Camp close to the international border in Tombru, Bandarban. The deceased and injured were all residents of the Zero Point Rohingya Camp, known as the camp that is closest to the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, in No Man's Land. Four mortar shells landed in succession at the Rohingya camp around 8 pm. Also read: Home Minister: Will complain to UN over Myanmar’s mortar shelling if needed Earlier, an indigenous youth, named Anganthowai Tanchangya, was grievously injured in a landmine explosion along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Naikhongchhari Upazila of Bandarban on Friday noon. Locals said it is the Myanmar army that has mined the area. Twelve mortar shells have been fired by the Myanmar army on Bangladesh territory so far.

The United Kingdom has sought an amendment to Myanmar's citizenship laws to allow everyone to fully participate in Myanmar's political process.

The wheels of international justice are finally turning as  two international courts are now examining whether Myanmar committed genocide and who should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity, said Human Rights Watch.