At the Edge of the Naf: How Bangladesh Must Prepare for the Arakan Army Threat

Reading Time: 5 minutes Rising kidnappings, cross‑border threats, and criminal networks linked to the Arakan Army have made Bangladesh’s south-eastern frontier a flashpoint. Dhaka must act now — first with intelligence‑led, non‑lethal deterrence, and second with a clear military escalation doctrine should things go south. Containing the Arakan Army without Crossing the Line The Naf River is no longer just a line on the map. For Bangladesh, it has become the frontline of a growing security crisis. Over the past year, the Arakan Army — a Myanmar‑based armed group — has moved from being a distant insurgency to a direct threat to Bangladesh’s sovereignty and safety. More than 350 Bangladeshi citizens have been abducted, fishing trawlers seized, and the BGB publicly challenged. At the same time, there are credible reports of the AA supplying arms and shelter to anti‑Bangladesh insurgents in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and trafficking narcotics in exchange