• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

In the face of growing local opposition, from the Bangladesh Army and prominent political leaders among others, the projected Rakhine Corridor has been quietly dropped from public debate, though not entirely abandoned. This corridor is meant to enable humanitarian access between Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar and Myanmar's Rakhine state. The interim government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, has avoided open discussions on the corridor project following senior Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders and top military officials expressed strong objections over national security concerns.

Bangladesh Army And BNP Warn Against 'Strategic Risks'

A senior Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader said to News18 that, "Won't allow Rakhine Corridor passing through Bangladesh. We desire a peaceful and stable nation. We have already submitted our opinion to the interim government on this matter, and we will protest any such move which could jeopardize Bangladesh's stability and security." Sources report cited by News18 states that the Bangladesh Army Chief, during a private meeting with top commanders, also expressed serious concerns over the corridor, warning it could also result in long-term strategic weaknesses and create avenues for foreign intrusion into sensitive areas.

As a reaction to this huge criticism, the Yunus government has changed its terminology, now calling the plan a "humanitarian passage" instead of a "corridor." This is an attempt to present the initiative as a humanitarian effort and not a cross-border infrastructure initiative. Accoroding to a source cited by News18 said that a limited passage for aid, possibly coordinated with the UN and international partners, is under silent negotiation. This passage would allow relief supplies to move between Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh and temporary zones across the Myanmar border, without establishing any formal corridor. Adding to the growing border tension, a recent meeting between Chief Adviser Yunus and UN Resident Coordinator Gwyn Lewis has triggered speculation about renewed diplomatic moves behind the scenes.

ALSO READ: 'Mini Pakistan' In Heart Of Dhaka? Guns, Gangs, Geneva, And More | Inside Bangladesh’s Forgotten Refugee Camp

According to an official statement released by the government, the meeting focused on the Rohingya humanitarian crisis and the worsening international funding shortfall for essential services inside refugee camps."During their meeting, the resident coordinator and chief adviser discussed the urgent matter of the Rohingya crisis and the continued financing dilemma," the statement stated. “They expressed serious concern about significant funding reductions, which are severely impacting essential programmes within the camps,” it added. Yunus appealed for "immediate solidarity and more support from the international community," warned that existing aid levels are "unsustainable" and may jeopardise Bangladesh's capacity to cope with the humanitarian consequences of the prolonged Rohingya crisis.

ALSO READ: Ruled For 15 Years, Left In 15 Minutes: All About Sheikh Hasina's 'Shah-E-Exit' Plan From Bangladesh

No Official Corridor, But Passage Plans Not Ruled Out

National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman, in a press conference last week, explained that the UN had requested logistics assistance, and the government had replied it could consider the offer "close to the border" for UN agencies to transport aid into Rakhine. “The UN only asked if Bangladesh could assist in sending humanitarian aid near the border, to be delivered to the Rakhine state by UN partners. We said we can consider,” Rahman said, as quoted by The Daily Star.