BURMA Act And Bangladesh

BURMA Act and the new defense bill May provoke temptation and misadventurous zeal. Staying neutral and sticking to the plan May find a solution that no one can.

In December last year, US senate incorporated BURMA Act 2021 in its Defense Authorization Bill¹. It underscores increasing civilian support to restoration of democracy and ongoing resistance against the ruling regime. As Bangladesh houses more than one million Rohingyas in its soil, it has significance for the country too.

State of emergency has been extended to six months by military govt in Myanmar. News reports indicate that ruling regime controls 17% of the land in Myanmar. There is no doubt that escalation of fighting inside Myanmar further prolongs the repatriation of the Rohingyas.

Meanwhile, in Bangladesh ,restive situation prevails in some of the Rohingya camps,adjacent to front line in Bandarban. Fighting for dominance between two armed Rohingyas groups rendered homeless thousands of Rohingyas. They have now been relocated to bigger camps by the authority.In addition, winter sets the occasion for the Rohingyas to set off clandestine boat ride destined to affluent East Asian countries. In most of the cases, such attempt ended in tragedies and news items.

Last week, on the eve of second anniversary of military takeover in Myanmar, a private university of Bangladesh organized a seminar. In that seminar, a shadow minister of the unity government expressed his commitment of ensuring justice for the Rohingyas and stressed that restoration of democracy could offer durable solution to existing problems of Myanmar².

Bangladesh has so far maintained a buffer and humanitarian role to the internal situation of Myanmar. I think it will play that role in future as well and open its door for all the parties of Myanmar on humanitarian ground.

It is prudent to refrain from taking side in the bloodletting inside Myanmar. Bangladesh should use its leverage to make bridge and reconciliation among feuding parties. Because struggle of power is temporary and institutions of a country are permanent. Both the feuding parties will remember who took part in killing their comrades and it may open future chapter of hostility which is not best for our interest in the long run. For instance, Indian support to our independence movement is not read and interpreted in the same manner by all the quarters in Bangladesh.

Territorial tension will be there. Different nations will have different interests. We have to focus on our one and make sure what serves best to attain that. At the same time,it is naïve to assume that we have great geopolitical importance. Myanmar’s geopolitical importance far outweighs ours. That is why we have to remain neutral and navigate carefully to reach our mission to make Bangladesh a functioning democracy and a prosperous country.

Bangladesh right now faces current account and budget deficit. The country is taking an IMF credit package of $4.7 billion. Meanwhile, recession and war make West's continuous support for the Rohingya refugees untenable. In that light,Bangladesh has to foster bilateral and regional connections to get a temporary solution for its Rohingya crisis. Emulating Bhashan Char model inside Myanmar or other parts of East Asia could be an alternative. Bangladesh could approach Myanmar to arrange an island or coastal land with easy access to other part of the world in a bid to relocate them. East Asian countries sympathetic to Rohingya cause could also provide such facilities to Rohingyas under the auspices of UN. Similarly, we can invite Myanmar or other ASEAN countries to participate in funding Rohingyas’ education,health and other livelihood programs. This kind of initiative will ease the burden of Bangladesh and enhance the commitment of participating countries to put an end to Rohingya crisis.

Burma Act and Defense Authorization Bill may act as temptation to take precarious and peace-killing stance.Back in April,2019, I penned a piece titled “Stick To Bilateral Agreement” highlighting commitment to bilateral ties and working partnership and avoiding misadventure³. Subsequent events may render the argument sounds less effective in the present context but for our future and long term goal a better alternative has not emerged yet.

Notes And References

1. "US Senate Passes Defense Authorization Bill ,Including Myanmar Language", Ingyin Naing,Voice Of America,December 16,2022. For more read at https://www.voanews.com/a/us-senate-passes-defense-authorization-bill-including-myanmar-language/6879009.html
2. "Jantar Amoley Rohingya Somoshhar Somadhan Kothin",Daily Prothom Alo,P-3,February 01,2023
3. "Stick To Bilateral Agreement ",Rezaul Hoque,https://hoquestake.blogspot.com.April 19,2019. For more read at https://hoquestake.blogspot.com/2019/04/stick-to-bilateral-agreement.html?m=1

[Note: This piece has been updated on February 04,2023 at 8:30 Bangladesh Standard Time. Update includes references.]