The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has increased vigilance along the frontier with India and Myanmar due to increased negative security activity.
Since July-August revolution in Bangladesh, the Government of India has strengthened border security, which led to an unusually increased presence of Border Security Force (BSF). Several Bangladeshi nationals have been tortured and killed by the Indian border guardsmen along Jashore frontier.
Hindu extremist groups operating in India in cahoots with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have also threatened to enter Bangladesh to carry out violent activities. This led to a tense situation prevailing across the international border of the two countries.
Forces along the the Myanmar border remains in a heightened state of alert as the Arakan Army (AA) rebel group claimed to have captured almost the entirety of the Rakhine state from the Myanmar government during months of tense fighting.
Bangladesh expects the Myanmar security forces to carry out a large-scale operation to reclaim lost territory over the next few months.
Important regional and international stakeholders have been engaging with the Arakan Army to ensure their strategic interests are maintained. Bangladesh itself remains cautious about dealing with the Arakan Army, a notorious Buddhist extremist organisation that initially participated in the atrocities against the Rohingya minority in Rakhine state.
To complicate matters intelligence sources revealed Rohingya elements have joined the Myanmar Army to fight against the Arakan Army rebels after the junta government offered them citizenship cards and material benefits.
Bangladesh’s interest remains in repatriating the Rohingya’s in Cox’s Bazar’s sprawling refugee camps back to Myanmar without delay. The Government of Bangladesh has kept all options open to ensure the foreigners are eventually returned considering the expanding security risks in hosting such a large community of undocumented persons.